From Ellis to Rogers
by Cash1122
Summary: Sequel to From Erskine to Ellis- Kayla Rogers made a decision that would wreak havoc on her family and the world. Now she has to face the consequences of setting her husband's greatest foe free into the land of the living. SteveXOC Rated T for language and suggestive themes. I do not own any of the Marvel characters, Only my original characters!
1. Chapter 1

Steve Rogers stormed toward his wife. The blonde sat on an old stone bench, facing the lake beyond the former Avengers Compound. Her long hair blew in the slight breeze away from her red windbreaker, making her look mysterious in her stillness. She lifted her head as he approached but she didn't turn around at the sound of his voice.

_What was she thinking? Tampering with something she doesn't understand..._

Steve huffed as he reached her, standing behind her with his hands on his hips, waiting for her to turn to him. "You have anything to say for yourself?" Steve asked, fighting back his instincts to wrap his arms around his girl and embrace her. He knew he'd been gone only a moment, but he hadn't seen his wife in several days. He'd have been home earlier, but she threw a curveball in his plan. He needed to talk through her recklessness with someone he trusted. He waited for a moment, but the blonde didn't respond. "Kayla... what have you done?"

"I had to Steve. I can't explain it. I had to keep it."

Kayla turned her head to the side, and Steve moved around to meet her eyes. He stumbled back a step when he saw them, glowing gold as she lifted her chin to look up at Steve. "Kay? What- you- the stone?"

Her cherry red lips broke into a smile, releasing her shining white teeth, "It chose me."

"It chose you?" Steve asked tentatively, seeing the stone glowing in his wife's hands as she grinned up at him wickedly, "Kayla, I don't think you're okay..."

"I've never been better darling. I'm going to fix everything. I'm going to bring Natasha back." Kayla assured the soldier as she stood, and he took a small step back as she took a long one toward him. She tilted her head to the side, watching her husband carefully as he retreated, "You're afraid of me."

"A little bit Kay. You're acting very strange. Let me take the stone. Let me put it back, Doctor Banner can take a look at you-"

"No. No, the stone chose me. I need to take it back to the Stonekeeper. I need to use it to bring Natasha back." Kayla warned as she bared her teeth, and Steve felt like the woman he loved was becoming a feral animal, wild and untamed in her inhibitions.

"Cap? What's going on?" Sam asked as he approached the pair, finally getting a good look at Kayla. "What's happened to you, Kayla?"

"She took the Soul Stone." Bruce answered, meeting the girl's eyes as she grinned up at him, her eyes glowing as her hair blew around her face, "She's holding it in her hand."

"And you're going to let me use it, Bruce. I can tell." Kayla murmured threateningly as she took a step closer to the Hulk, and the green man watched her nervously, unsure of what she would do.

Steve carefully grabbed her arm, yanking her gently away from Banner, "Kayla, please, give me the stone-"

At his touch, Kayla froze, grabbing the star on the front of his scaley Captain America uniform roughly. She turned her face slowly to face her husband, and the gold in her eyes blazed orange as her toothy grin melted away into a scowl, "You went back." She squeezed the Soul Stone in her left hand as she clenched his suit in her right, pulling closer. She tipped her head to the side, studying Steve with her glowing eyes. "You are... content. You don't feel any confliction about coming home."

Steve stared at Kayla for a moment as Bucky, Sam, and Bruce watched him, waiting for him to elaborate. "I wasn't-"

"Planning on telling me. I know. You got your dance. But you were too late. She was already married. As are you. So you came home to us. To your family." Kayla's voice echoed a little as she spoke, in a trance as she read straight into Steve's soul. "I know you are mad at me. But you'll forgive me."

Steve furrowed his brows, tightening his jaw as he leaned away from Kayla. "Honey, please. Let go of the stone. This isn't you."

"I have to Steve. It's my destiny."

"Please don't make me do this Kayla." Steve begged, getting a tight grip on both of her arms. "I don't want to hurt you, but the Soul Stone is controlling you. I know you, this... isn't you."

"It could be."

Steve's eyes fluttered away from Kayla's for just a moment to see Sam nod, and Steve yanked her and threw her to the ground, straddling her as Sam grabbed the Soul Stone out of her hand. "No!" She cried out, and reached for the golden stone, calling it back to her even as Sam held it. The essence of the stone wisped away, leaving only a rock in Sam's hand as it entered Kayla through her open mouth, gasping at it like air.

Steve leaped away from Kayla, backing away quickly as the Soul Stone disappeared into his wife. "Kayla... what have you done?"

The blonde woman laid on her back, blinking her eyes rapidly as the gold ebbed away and was replaced with her forest green eyes. "Steve?"

"Cap." Sam handed Steve the former Soul Stone, a small rock that was brown and ugly. Powerless. Sam looked to Kayla cautiously, but she panted as she pushed herself onto her knees. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Kayla admitted, looking from Steve to Sam as she squinted into the sun. "What happened?"

"You took the Soul Stone. I got to Morag to return the Power Stone and realized it was missing. I put all the stones back where they came from. Except I had no reason to go to Vormir because the stone was gone." Steve accused Kayla, but she sighed, looking down at her legs as she kicked at the dirt.

"So you made a personal call to 1945?" Kayla retorted with a shrug. Steve closed his mouth, his cheeks heating up at her words. Kayla smiled knowingly at her husband, "I'm not mad. I get it, Steve."

"Why did you take the stone, Kay? I need to put it back. Clip the branches remember?" Steve said gently as he offered her his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her up, catching her as she leaned into his arms.

Kayla looked up at Steve, grabbing his jaw with her palm as Steve tossed the rock to Bruce to study, "I'm... sorry. It called to me... I didn't push it out. I let it in."

"Yeah, and it's in you now. You are now the Soul Stone." Bruce said, waving the worthless rock in Kayla's face. "Can you control it? Or it going to control you?"

"The baby. Is the baby okay?" Steve asked, pressing his hand to Kayla's stomach nervously as he turned to the doctor. Kayla looked around at all the expecting faces, knowing they wanted answers she couldn't give. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't understand why it chose her.

* * *

Kayla sat in the backseat with Bucky, curled up with her arms around her knees as she leaned against the door, staring out the window. Steve drove in silence, staring straight ahead as his heart filled with dread. What was going to happen to his girl? What was going to happen to their unborn child? They'd worked so hard to get James back. They'd faced death. They were on the brink of a normal life, and just like the Cosmic Cube had thrown his life into a tailspin eighty years ago, another Infinity Stone had stolen his happily ever after.

As the large brick house came into view, Kayla sighed deeply, knowing she'd have to face Wanda and Tiffany. And her parents. Oh, what would her parents say?

When Steve parked the car, Sam and Bucky practically jumped out before he could turn it off, leaving Steve alone with his wife. Tiffany opened the front door and Zawadi and Buddy came charging out toward the car, jumping into the backseat and covering Kayla with kisses. She giggled as she allowed them to lick her, and Steve felt at peace for a moment, seeing some things hadn't changed.

He got out of the car and closed the door gently, but the noise alerted the Rhodesians and they leaped out of the open door away from Kayla to bark at Steve, wanting attention. He didn't oblige, but instead opened up the door for Kayla and offered her his hand. "Come on Kay. We'll figure this out together."

"I don't want to be around James. What if I hurt him? What if I hurt them?" Kayla gestured to her stomach, and Steve knelt down outside of the car.

Steve grabbed her hands and stroked her knuckles as he looked into her green eyes, "I won't let you hurt our children. I told you, we'll figure this out."

"If anything goes wrong, you protect them. Do you understand me, Steve?" Kayla asked with shakey breath.

"Yes." Steve replied quickly, "I do. But I won't let it come to that."

Kayla stood and allowed Steve to lead her to the house, where, as promised, Sandra had dinner on the table. They all stared at Kayla like she was a ticking bomb. They were scared she'd go off. Sandra and Matt watched with bated breath as Kayla took her place next to her mother, across from Tiffany. The little brunette pushed her hair behind her ear as she met her best friend's eyes. "You okay?"

"As far as I know. As per usual though, I'm starving. So let's table the talk till after dinner and eat?" Kayla asked cooly, and Tiffany passed the salad bowl, which Kayla took and loaded up her plate with leafy greens. Tiffany looked to Steve with wide, questioning eyes, and he raised his hand and nodded, silently telling the woman that Kayla was fine.

"So, you got the stones back alright Steve?" Mathew cleared his throat, taking a bite of his pasta as he looked from Kayla to Steve.

"No issues. Got the five of them back pretty easily." Steve explained before taking a bite of his garlic bread, sparing a brief glance at Kayla before looking over her head to her father. "How was James while we were gone?"

"He was very good. He's down for a nap now, but I'm sure he'll be happy to have his mom back." Sandra offered, smiling at Kayla, but the blonde didn't return the sentiment, instead, she stared down at her plate of pasta emotionless.

"I, uh, I'm done. Dinner was great. I think I'm gonna go check on James." Kayla said weakly, quickly pushing away from the table and walking briskly around the group toward the stairs. She sprinted up the stairs, her heels clunking as she quickly ran out of sight.

"Steven," Mathew said darkly, grabbing the soldier's attention, "What is happening to my daughter?"

Steve shook under the former President's stare, feeling the pressure to assure his father-in-law of his only daughter's safety. But Steve couldn't.

"Kayla is bonded with one of the six stones. The Soul Stone. She stole it before Steve left and it seemed to have... possessed her. She seems fine now, but I think it's still... in her." Sam told Kayla's parents from Mathew's left, grabbing Tiffany's hand and squeezing it.

"And what's your plan for ridding her of this Infinity Stone?" Mathew asked Steve again, but Steve simply stared at the table.

"I don't know. I'll figure something out. I won't let anything happen to your daughter."

"It's a little late for that Captain Rogers. It seems like something very bad has happened when you weren't looking. We are very aware of what those stones can do... is she dangerous? Should she be alone with your son right now?"

Steve pushed away from the table roughly, not acknowledging Mathew's question, but his actions spoke louder than his words ever could as he stomped toward the stairs, following Kayla up to their spare bedroom.

Steve pushed open the door slowly to find Kayla standing by the crib, cradling James closely to her chest. She looked up when he entered the bedroom, and he saw the tears streaming down her face as she cried softly. Steve sighed as he approached her, gently grabbing onto the sleeves of the red windbreaker she still wore, "Kay..."

"He loves us so much. It's the only thing in his soul."

Steve pressed his forehead against Kayla's, looking down at their son as he looked up at them with wide green eyes, "Yeah? How do you know?"

"I can see everyone's soul. You are frustrated. My mom is nervous. My dad is angry. Tiffany is scared. I can see everyone. I'd like to understand it. But I'm scared to become what it wants of me. It's sentient Steve... it's alive." Kayla explained, her eyes glowing orange for just a moment.

Steve moved to take James from his wife, but she held him close, staring at Steve defensively as she turned herself to keep the baby away. Steve put up both hands to show he didn't mean any harm. "Kayla, please, you said it yourself, you don't understand the stone's power. Give me James." Steve's eyes were dark as he ordered Kayla to hand over her child. Her lower lip shook in anger for a second before she passed her baby to his father. "I'm not taking your son away from you, Kay. You understand that right?"

Kayla looked at Steve, staring into his soul and seeing that he meant well, but he was manipulating her. He was being _Steve._

"Give me the baby. You don't worry about me anymore, okay?" Kayla said evenly, her eyes glowing briefly as his blue eyes mirrored hers before settling back to their normal color.

"I'm not worried, baby. Everything's fine." Steve said as he straightened up and handed James back to Kayla. "I don't know what came over me. I trust you."

Kayla smiled wickedly as she held James tight to her chest, "Why wouldn't you?"


	2. Chapter 2

Kayla bounded down the stairs with James snuggled in her arms. When she saw Tiffany and Sam washing the dishes, she snuck up behind her best friend and rested her chin on Tiffany's shoulder. "Hey Tiff. How's it going?"

Tiffany jumped out of her skin and spun around, sending water splashing onto Kayla and James, causing the baby to screech in surprise. "Kayla! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle him!" Tiffany stuttered, quickly depositing the plate back into the soapy sink. She reached toward the baby, then pulled her hand back like it was a snake.

"Oh, he's fine. Aren't you darling?" Kayla cooed at the baby that she held in one strong arm as she shrugged out of her wet windbreaker with the other. She easily switched the baby to her other arm to shrug off the jacket completely, discarding it on the back of the island chair, "How are you two? Why are you so jumpy?"

"Because you're a loose cannon," Sam mumbled under his breath and Tiffany slapped him with the wet dishtowel. He rubbed his arm teasingly, pulling Tiffany into a chaste kiss before she leaned away. Sam went to work finishing the dishes as Tiffany turned her full attention to Kayla.

"I'm fine Kay. I'm just worried about you. We all are." Tiffany leaned against the counter, looking up at her friend. Tiffany pressed her bare foot against the wooden cabinet, tapping her slim fingers against the countertop.

Kayla could sense the tension in her best friend and it made her feel bad. She wanted Tiffany to feel better. She didn't want Tiffany to be _scared _of her. As soon as Sam was turned back to the sink, Kayla's eyes began to glow and she watched as Tiffany's did the same before diffusing into their normal chocolate hue. Kayla smiled, seeing her friend's whole demeanor change as she leaned toward Kayla and laughed, "I'm just happy to have you back. It's been so long, you know?"

"I know Tiffany. I know. But everything's going to be okay now." Kayla beamed back, flashing her million dollar smile. Sam stiffened at his girlfriend's laughter, turning over his shoulder to see Kayla's free arm draped over Tiffany as the little brunette chuckled to herself and tickled James. Something was very wrong.

"Why don't you two ladies finish the dishes and catch up. I'll take the baby for a while. Where is Steve?" Sam asked sincerely, looking around for his friend.

Kayla looked at Sam suspiciously, sensing his deceit, but she allowed him to be suspicious of her. "He's upstairs. It's getting late, James should be put to bed. Would you mind?"

"Of course not. I'm glad you're doing better Kayla." Sam told the woman, and she transferred the baby to his arms.

Sam took the child and walked past Mathew and Sandra watching television. Wanda was online, chatting with Princess Shuri in Wakanda. The psychic wanted to know how far the scientist got in extracting the Mind Stone from Vision. Wanda still held out hope that maybe the girl could bring back her love.

Bucky stood by the window, staring out at the open field beyond the house silently, Buddy panting expectantly at his leg. The dog had found a new friend in the Winter Soldier, and Bucky welcomed the company. Buddy liked the man far more than his father did.

"Barnes, a word," Sam said quietly to get the soldier's attention. When Bucky looked over the shoulder of his black jacket, Sam threw his head to the side, motioning for Bucky to follow him. Bucky slowly followed Sam to the stairs, looking over his shoulder as Kayla and Tiffany laughed from the kitchen. Buddy trotted along behind, panting happily as he followed the men toward the spare bedroom.

Once they reached the upper floor of the house, Sam turned to Bucky, looking around nervously as he held James to the chest of his black shirt. "Something is very off, Barnes. Kayla is acting weird, and now Tiffany is acting weird. We need to find Steve."

Bucky nodded to the Falcon, then turned around, grasped a doorknob and pushed open the door to Steve and Kayla's bedroom. "Steve?"

"Buck?" Steve asked as he looked up from his sketchpad to see his best friends in the doorway. "What's wrong?"

Bucky approached Steve, looking the man up and down, looking for some sign that something was off about his friend. "Is Kayla controlling you?"

"No?" Steve asked, looking between Sam and Bucky. "Why would you think that?"

"Because Tiffany was scared shitless of Kayla, and suddenly she's all laughing and happy. Because you ran off worried about your son and she came back with James without you." Sam shot back, taking a step into the room. "Your wife is out of control."

"I'm not worried about her. She's fine." Steve assured Bucky and Sam, but the two men shared a glance, knowing their hunch was right.

Bucky clenched his metal fist, grinding his teeth as he tried to push his anger aside, "The Soul Stone is controlling your wife, and she's changing you. You've been worried about that woman for ten years. I don't believe you've stopped worrying about her now. That's Kayla talking, not you."

Steve rolled his eyes, setting down his pencil as he closed his sketchpad and placed tucked it into the desk drawer. "Let me put James down. I think you two should go."

"Steve," Wanda's thick Sokovian accent radiated from the door frame as the woman slunk into his bedroom. Her eyes glowed red as she approached, her fingers twisting as she snuck her way into Captain America's mind. She put the man in a trance so he couldn't fight her. Her head fell sadly at what she found, "Your mind isn't controlled, she's changed the very essence of who you are." Wanda turned to Sam and Bucky, her eyes still burning scarlet, "She's controlling his soul. She pulled him out and put someone back in who she can puppet."

"What do we have to do?" Bucky asked as he grabbed onto Steve's shoulder tightly. "We can't lose him like this."

"We need to rid Kayla of the Soul Stone. But I don't know how." Wanda told the men as her eyes settled into their normal color and Steve began to fall forward until Bucky caught him and pushed him back up into the chair, unconscious.

"She's controlling Steve and Tiffany. Who's to say she won't try to control all of us. To steal our souls?" Sam argued, gently placing James into his crib as he began to cry. At the baby's cries, Zawadi came bounding up the stairs from the living room to perch his paws at the edge of the crib, looking down with his massive chestnut head to make sure no harm was coming to his little master.

"I think you all should leave."

Wanda, Sam, and Bucky whipped around to see Kayla standing in the doorway, her hands glowing amber as she stared daggers at the trio. Even though they were inside, her hair moved on its own, almost as if her tension created a weightlessness within her. Almost as if she was about to levitate off the ground itself if the people before her didn't leave. Her serum filled muscles tensed as her eyes darted from Zawadi to Steve, seeing her dog was protecting her baby even if her friends had disarmed her husband.

"Kayla. Let's work together. Tell me what you need. Tell me why you took the Soul Stone." Wanda asked gently as she took a step toward her friend, her own hands glowing red beneath her baggy black sweatshirt.

"I have to save Natasha. It tempted me. It wanted _me. _I'm the only one who can wield it. Help me get to Vormir. Help me bring our friend back." Kayla choked out, and through the glowing eyes and wicked smile, the slightest glimmer of real Kayla appeared. "It controls me, not the other way around. Help me overpower it."

Wanda flickered her hand behind her back, sending a message into Sam's mind as she never took her eyes off of Kayla.

_Call Carol._

"Let's take this outside Kay. You don't want anything to happen to James." Wanda warned, taking another step towards Kayla, but the name worked as a trigger and the woman sidestepped the Scarlet Witch to dart at the crib, leaning over Zawadi to see James sound asleep.

"I'll protect him. I'll never let anything happen to him."

"I know, but right now we need some air. Look, Zawadi's got him. And Bucky. You trust Bucky, don't you?" Wanda asked evenly, as Kayla's eyes flickered from the baby to the assassin.

"Hmmm, enough." She settled, grinding her teeth at the dark man who stayed by her unconscious husband. "If that child gets so much as a scratch, I'll destroy you."

"Noted." Bucky mumbled quietly, shifting his weight under the woman's gaze. Her eyes simmered back to their normal green and she shook her head violently as if that could push away the powers that tried to overtake the blonde.

Wanda grabbed Kayla's arm, and they both felt a jolt of electricity as Wanda gently pulled Kayla toward the door. Zawadi looked at Kayla expectantly, not understanding why Kayla was acting strange and Steve was asleep in his desk chair. The dog's hair rose up on his back as he emitted a low growl at Kayla as she passed, and the action seemed to snap Kayla back to her senses.

Kayla turned around in the doorway and did a double take when she realized Steve was unconscious. She darted back to Steve and knelt beside him as she stroked his knuckles, "Did I do this?"

"You did something to him. He's not himself. You changed him and Tiffany." Sam spat, charging toward Kayla and she stumbled back onto her heels to get away.

"I don't understand- the Stone is _a part _of me. I don't know how to control what it does." Kayla stammered as Wanda held her upper arms supportively, her red magic ran across Kayla as her pale skin glowed amber in panic. Kayla spun around to face Wanda, grabbing onto the woman's shoulders, "Please help me." Kayla began to shake, and her eyes darkened as her smile returned, the Soul Stone hungry for more power.

"Let's take this away from the baby. You're struggling. Let's go outside." Wanda warned, her voice low and husky as she tried to control Kayla, but her efforts only agitated her friend. Kayla's eyes narrowed as she followed Wanda out of the room, the latter backing away from the bedroom to keep her friend's focus on her.

"What's wrong?" Tiffany whined as she passed Wanda and Kayla down the stairs. The brunette pouted, and Sam wrapped his arm around her shoulders as he brought her to the picture windows overlooking the fields beyond the home as Wanda opened the front door and led Kayla outside. Kayla swaggered her way toward the witch, excited for the impending fight.

"It's worse than we thought isn't it?" Sandra asked weakly as she came to stand beside Sam and Tiffany.

Sam looked to the former First Lady with a grim smile, "Yeah, but we're working on it."

Outside, Kayla leaned against their red car, yawning to show she was bored. She lifted her hand and showed a gentle orange glow radiating from her palm. She looked at her own hand for a moment before moving her eyes to Wanda, waiting for the Scarlet Witch to make the first move. Her muscles pulled against the thin fabric of her black running top as she scuffed her black boot into the dirt like a horse preparing to race.

Wanda wiggled her fingers, red smoke emanating from them as she shifted from side to side, loosening her shoulders. She took a step backward, taunting Kayla to follow her. The blonde grinned and took the bait, taking one long step toward Wanda to back her farther away. Wanda stood her ground, waiting for Kayla to approach her. Suddenly, a bright light exploded from the sky, knocking the woman out into the grass.

_Author's Note: Aww you guys! Thank you for already following and favoriting this story after only one chapter! I super appreciate it! Please continue to review and leave me thoughts! Since this is an original story the reviews and thoughts really help moving forward! 3,000_

**_Siobhan-_**_ Thank you for being such a loyal follower and reviewer through From Erskine to Ellis! I'm so glad you enjoyed the first chapter and I hope I continue to deliver! _

_FernieRee- I'm glad you like how it starts! We're just getting started- lots of drama and chaos to come! _


	3. Chapter 3

"Where am I?"

Kayla looked around, fully aware of herself. There was no conflicting power in her soul, telling her to be something she wasn't. Her black boots were ankle deep in orange water as she took a step forward, the liquid sloshing as she moved. She spun around again, looking for someone, anyone. Anything that could tell her what was happening.

"Hello!" She called hopelessly, wondering if she was trapped in this lifeless, golden-tinted world. She turned around again to find a large door behind her. She could hear a string quartet playing elegant music behind it. Kayla looked over her shoulder again, seeing nothing behind her.

She pushed open the wooden door to reveal a massive ballroom. She remembered this gala- it was the Governor's Ball 2013. It was the night she met Steve and the Avengers. But there was no one here. The string quartet was non-existent, even as the music haunted the empty hall. Kayla walked into the middle of the dance floor, the water still surrounding her shoes.

She heard a woman chuckle from one of the tables nearby and turned quickly. She saw the green woman she'd only caught a glimpse of at the battle against Thanos. Kayla approached slowly, cautiously, still unsure of where she was and why she was _here. _She took another step toward the woman, tilting her head to the side as she studied her red-tipped hair and brilliant smile as she laughed at the approaching blonde.

Kayla was suddenly very aware that her feet were soaked, and looked down to see her favorite black stilettos immersed in the water as her long blue ballgown floated behind her. She looked down to see her arms bare and her hair in voluminous curls. Her muscular arms and chest filled out the dress much better than she had when she was young and slim. She felt something dangling around her neck and grabbed at it, realizing it was Steve's dog tags, something she hadn't had at the gala a decade ago.

"You are so conflicted. You're so frustrated. You can't control the power you possess. Your heart is too dark- the stone reads its host. Your selfishness is what causes it to crave chaos. You'll go mad."

Kayla frowned at the woman sitting lazily in the chair, her leather-clad leg slung casually over the other as she leaned on the back of the chair watching Kayla approach. She didn't seem fazed by the strange setting and watery amber world. She seemed... resigned to it. "Who are you?"

"My name is Gamora. The daughter of Thanos."

"Thanos?" Kayla spat back, trying to swallow down the lump in her throat at the name. After a moment, it hit her, "You're Nebula's sister."

Gamora rose from her chair, closing the space between herself and Kayla as she looked to the blonde with desperate, hopeful eyes, "You know my sister?"

"I do. She helped us defeat Thanos. We undid the snap. We won. We brought back everyone who was lost. Well... not everyone." Kayla admitted, looking over her shoulder around the ballroom before turning back to Gamora, watching her skeptically, "I saw you at the battle. But you've been here the whole time, haven't you? Since before the snap."

"Yes." Gamora admitted, searching Kayla's green eyes for any sign of deceit, but she found none, only concern, "How did you undo it?"

"We went back in time and got all the Infinity Stones before Thanos. We snapped our own fingers. We lost some of our own in the process. My husband, Captain America, he put all the stones back... all but one." Kayla turned over her hand to show Gamora her palm, closing her eyes and creating a vision of the Soul Stone. Gamora stared at the stone in disbelief, having never been fortunate to see what her death was for. Kayla opened her eyes and looked from the stone to the woman before her, "Why did it choose me? Why did I take it from the case instead of letting Steve take it back to Vormir?"

"I don't know. Nobody knows anything about the stone but the Stonekeeper." Gamora admitted, looking past Kayla's shoulder in a daze. After a few seconds, her expression twitched slightly, alerting Kayla to the arrival of someone else.

Kayla turned around, her blue dress twisting behind her lean legs as her hair whipped over her shoulder at the swift movement. "Natasha." Kayla breathed, wanting to run and jump into her friend's arms... but being afraid. "Natasha?"

"Why are you here Kayla? What have you done?" The assassin asked as she approached, wearing her Black Widow stealth uniform that she'd been wearing when they left the compound. Her braid was messy, and her weapons were broken, but still strapped to her back. She looked at Kayla as if the blonde was an apparition, something interesting but terrifying. "Did you go back to Vormir?"

"No. I did something much worse." Kayla admitted, knowing Natasha would be disappointed in her. Because for Natasha, her death was the noble sacrifice of a hero, the final act to clean out the red in her ledger. For Kayla, the Black Widow's death was a curse, something she couldn't have stopped in any lifetime. So Kayla was very aware that Natasha wouldn't approve of her efforts, even if they came from the best of intentions.

"You took the stone. Why? You can't bring me back, Kay. Let me go." Natasha begged, looking from her friend to Gamora, who just shrugged her shoulders with a sigh. "Right?"

"She has the power of the Soul Stone. Its the most powerful of all the Infinity Stones, it can control all life in the universe if used to its full potential. She can distort a person's soul. She can kill them, manipulate them. And, potentially, she could bring back a soul that's been lost." Gamora explained slowly as Kayla closed the gap between herself and the shorter assassin.

"Let me try. Please, Nat. Let me do something good for once-"

Natasha took a step away as Kayla reached out for her, shaking her head as she bit her lip, "No. Kayla. You can't wield the Soul Stone. It'll cost you everything-"

Kayla gasped as she sat up, shaking as Wanda and Carol both had their hands aimed at her, ready to blast her back to sleep if she woke up fighting. But Kayla didn't. She woke up with a new sense of purpose, and a new clarity in her head. "We have to go to Vormir!"

The words caught Carol and Wanda off-guard and the two women shared a knowing look. Wanda pleaded Carol to take over the conversation, knowing Wanda's connection with Kayla would only make her more upset at the news. Captain Marvel groaned and looked down at Kayla, not the slightest bit in hurting the woman's feelings, "No."

Kayla pulled her head back in confusion as she leaned on her elbows, looking up at the two women, "What do you mean no? We have to, I can bring Natasha back."

"Nat's gone," Wanda said sadly, "Kayla, you need to move on. People die sometimes. You think I don't want to bring Pietro back? To bring my Vision back? We need to figure out how to save you. The stone's controlling you..."

"Stop. Stop telling me no." Kayla's eyes glowed, and Carol and Wanda saw the shift. It was in control. The more Kayla felt like they were trying to control her actions, the more she became possessed. They needed to let her be. Otherwise, she'd kill them all.

"Okay. Let's say we go to Vormir. What's the plan then?" Carol asked, changing her tactic as Sam opened the door and approached slowly. Wanda looked up to see Bucky looking out the window from the second story, watching the event unfold.

Kayla leaned back on her hands and pushed herself to her feet, landing inches from Carol and Wanda as her eyes settled back to green, "We have to go back to the moment she died. We'll be there. And I'll use the Soul Stone to save her life."

"With that logic, why don't you just catch her and save her life so she never dies?" Sam asked, eyes darting between the three women as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his brown jacket.

"It'll create a branch reality. If she dies, and I save her, everything happens as it's supposed to, and then we move on. No branch realities, no alternate timelines." Kayla explained, holding her lip with her fingers as she thought, "We need to go to Clint. Then we go to Vormir."

Carol nodded to Sam slowly, telling the man to play along. "Alright, but you've got to do something first. You need to fix Tiffany and Steve. No more soul swapping or changing or whatever you did to them. Bring them back, and we'll do whatever you say. Got it?"

A subtle smirk pulled at Kayla's lips as she sized up Sam Wilson, "I think I can handle that." Kayla trotted back to the house to find Tiffany standing at the window with her parents. Sandra and Mathew stepped away quickly as Kayla's hands began to glow. Tiffany stood still, watching Kayla with nothing but faith and love. Kayla pulled her right hand back, stretching her wrist before releasing it, causing Tiffany to jolt back a little. The smaller woman shook her head, trying to straighten her thoughts as her hands flew to her chest.

"Kay? What did you do?"

"I'm sorry. I'm... working on it." Kayla apologized, pulling her best friend into a hug. Tiffany patted her back, trying to figure out why she felt so different than she had a moment ago, and why she felt so normal compared to then.

Kayla pulled away from Tiffany before rushing up the stairs three at a time to reach her husband. When she entered the room, she saw Bucky standing by James's crib, his real right hand holding the side of the wood as his metal hand flexed, preparing to protect the child from his mother if it came to that. Kayla ignored Barnes and ran to Steve, who was still sitting lifeless in his desk chair. She straddled him effortlessly and kissed him deeply, giving everything she had to revert him to who he really was.

Steve awoke with a start, and practically dropped Kayla off of his legs until she reached out and grabbed his shoulders. He panted as he looked around, seeing Bucky by the crib and Kayla staring at him sadly. "What the hell happened? Are you alright?"

Kayla sighed in relief, "I'm fine. You're fine now. I'm so sorry." Kayla wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly, pressing her lips against his skin at the nape of his neck. "I'm trying. I have to go to Vormir."

Steve pushed Kayla away so he could see her face and shook his head, "No you don't-"

"I have to get rid of the Soul Stone. I can't live like this. Whatever it takes." Kayla told Steve and felt an ache in her chest as her own soul lurched from her admission. "There's too much darkness in me Steve. I can't be trusted as long as I have the stone."

"We don't have the slightest idea how to get rid of it..." Steve started, looking up at Bucky for answers, but his best friend had none for him. Steve smoothed back his long blonde hair as Kayla stroked his cheeks with her thumbs sweetly, smiling grimly.

"That's why I have to go to Vormir. I have to bring Natasha back and give back the stone. I'm going to give up the stone for Natasha. I'm going to try. I have to go to Clint. Figure out what I need to know about the moment she died." Kayla told Steve as he held her lower back. His blue eyes fell to her stomach and locked on for a moment until she noticed his gaze and looked down as well, "I promise I'll take care of them. I promise I'll protect them. I have to get rid of the stone, or I don't know what will happen to our children."

Steve hooked his hands tighter around Kayla's waist as he began to stand, and he lifted her up with him, carrying her to their bed before laying her down gently. "Okay. I'm coming with you-"

"No. You need to stay with James. I got myself into this mess. I'll go with Carol and Wanda. I don't want you anywhere near that place."

"And if something happens to you? Then what will I do?" Steve asked darkly. He walked over to Bucky and nodded at his best friend. They didn't need words to understand what the other was saying, and Steve wanted Bucky to leave. Barnes shot one last warning look at Kayla before smiling down at the baby named after him. Once he closed the door behind him, Steve turned back to Kayla and pulled off the thin white undershirt he'd been wearing. He still had on his blue pants and boots from his uniform. He knelt down to unbuckle his boots and Kayla crawled to the edge of the bed, laying on her stomach as she watched him intently.

"You'll be okay." She answered quietly, laying her head against her arm as she waved her boots in the air. Zawadi hopped up onto the bed and snuggled up to Kayla, laying his snout across her shoulder blades lovingly. "You'll all be okay."

_Author's Note: I don't know why comments aren't showing up- at least not for me, but I've gotten the emails about them so I can respond here!_

**_amberhardy-_**_ OMG it should have been Loki! lol, I keep telling my husband that one of my biggest regret about this story is that I haven't had the opportunity to write Loki except for that small bit during the time heist. I'm glad you like it so far! Steve cannot catch a break, and he does reach his breaking point soon..._

_**19vanelkc-**_ _Your review might be one of my favorite reviews/comments I've ever gotten. We'll see a bit more of Carol in the next chapter. _


	4. Chapter 4

Kayla stood at the top of the cliff, two massive twin towers looming behind her. The sky was dark purple and blue and the dark side of the moon did little to illuminate her situation. The ground felt like it was crumbling beneath her boots as she stood in her suit matching her husband's.

Kayla's hair was pulled back into a tight braid as it draped over her left shoulder. There was a cold breeze on the mountaintop that caused her to shiver. Kayla moved to the edge of the rocks, leaning over carefully to look below. Her enhanced eyesight made out two splotches on the ground, one red and one green. She gulped, realizing who the blood belonged to.

_I don't think I can do this._

"The stone requires a sacrifice. Are you willing to do what it takes?"

Kayla didn't turn at the dark voice that spoke to her, no, her eyes were locked on the ground below.

_Am I willing to do what it takes?_

"I already have the stone. It lives inside me, inhabits me, and I'm a vessel for its power." Kayla replied easily, unsure of where the words even came from. The voice was hers, but she didn't seem to have any control over it. The lack of control was really beginning to cause her stress.

"So you want to return the Soul Stone and bring back your friend?"

"Yes."

"When she jumped- she knew it was an everlasting sacrifice. Of all the people who inhabit the Soul Realm, she is the only one who chose her own fate. There's no bringing her back. She belongs to the stone as much as you do."

Kayla shook at the voice, and turned her head slightly, but couldn't see the creature the voice belonged to out of the corner of her eye, "I don't belong to anybody."

"You can't put it back, but you can destroy it. It'll destroy everyone within it. Your friend. But you'll be free. So tell me, Kayla Rogers, are you willing to make that sacrifice to save yourself?"

Kayla looked over the cliff again, imagining plummeting off of it to her death. Imagining what Gamora must have felt being murdered by her father. Imagining what Natasha must have felt knowing she was about to hit the ground. To die. Looking back up at Clint knowing he'd live on without her...

"What do I have to do?" Kayla asked, looking up at the dark sky with golden eyes.

"The same thing everyone does. Sacrifice someone you love. A soul for a soul."

Kayla paused for a moment, unsure if she was willing to do what it took to free herself from this burden. Then she grabbed Steve Rogers by the neck, and flung him off the cliff, watching him fall and fall and fall until she saw the impact, and a steady stream of blood flowed from the back of his neck.

Kayla woke up panting, her face covered in sweat and her hand glowing orange. She wiped her arm across her face, breathing through her mouth as she stared at her hands, willing them to go back to normal. James began to cry, awoken by his mother's heavy breathing.

"Shhh, shhh don't cry baby." Kayla cooed as she swung her legs out of bed, scooping him up and cuddling him in her arms as she sat down on the bed with her back against the headboard, "Everything's okay. I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. You're safe now."

Steve turned over and pressed his face into Kayla's thigh, moaning as his son continued to cry softly. "Bad dream?"

"That's an understatement," Kayla jumped a little at his voice as she bounced the boy in her arms, shushing him gently in an attempt to pacify him. She knew it was just a dream. A terrible dream, but it knocked the wind out of her, "Can you help me with him?"

Steve sat up in bed and leaned against Kayla as he settled his bare back against the headboard. "He's hungry again."

"I know that. Can you grab a bottle from the fridge?" Kayla answered, stroking the baby's head gently as Steve went to the mini fridge in the corner and got out a baby bottle already made up, "Thank you." Kayla responded as she pushed it into James's mouth slowly. She focused on the baby. Her precious James. She wouldn' let anything happen to him ever again. She watched the child for a moment, taking in the way he tried to reject the bottle before going back to his drinking. "Do you think he knows that I can't feed him?"

"I don't think he's aware he's missing anything," Steve answered as he laid flat on his back, staring up at Kayla as the baby sucked loudly on the bottle. "He's an infant. Plus, at the rate he's growing, he'll be on solid food next week."

"Ha ha." Kayla fake laughed, and she focused on her son, allowing herself to use the powers within her for something good, "He's happy. His soul is so pure. No darkness at all." Kayla's voice seemed to float in the air as she watched the child. Steve thought about her words for a moment, then spoke quietly.

"Is mine?"

Kayla looked down at Steve and saw discomfort in his face, almost as if he didn't want to know the answer. Kayla took her left hand and pressed it against Steve's chest, and her imprint glowed for a second after she pulled her hand away, "Yes. Because even your darkest deeds were done for good reasons. You're a good man Steve Rogers. You always have been. You always will be. It's your light that keeps me out of the darkness. My soul isn't so light."

Steve felt guilty at that because he knew there was darkness in his wife. Not because she did bad things but because she had dark thoughts. She was selfish and unpredictable and she could be loyal to a fault but not necessarily _good_. He loved that about her. It was her darkness that reminded him that he too was human, and he was allowed to want things for himself.

"I love you, Kay."

"I love you too, Steve."

"What was your dream about?"

"Vormir." Kayla answered honestly, sparing a glance at Steve to make sure he was really there beside her, alive. "I had a dream that I was on Vorimir. I thought I was alone... but then... I can't say."

"That stone will be the death of you. We have to get rid of it." Steve told her carefully, and she winced at his words, knowing something he didn't.

_Or it'll be the death of you..._

"I don't even know if I want to bring back Natasha or if the stone just wants to drive me back to Vorimir. I think that's the part that scares me the most." Kayla told Steve as James released the now empty bottle, "I thought I took the stone to get Nat back. But I'm starting to wonder if I ever had a choice. Perhaps I was always meant to return it."

"It should have been me to return it," Steve informed Kayla sternly, and her dream flashed through her mind again. A warning. A prophecy. He could never go there.

"No. No, you shouldn't have. It has to be me. I don't know why, or how, but I know this to be true. You'll stay behind with James, and I'll come back without the stone. And hopefully Natasha in tow."

Steve looked up at Kayla thoughtfully, but he didn't say anything for a couple of moments. Finally, after a deep sigh, he told her to go back to bed. Kayla smiled down at Steve as she slowly inched down the bed, still holding James in her arms. She turned over so James was situated between herself and his father, and she felt both of them, their goodness, and let it lull her to sleep.

* * *

Clint landed the quinjet on the lawn of the former First Family's home around ten o'clock the next morning. Hope and one of the puppies followed behind him, running to meet Buddy and Zawadi as Steve opened the front door to let them outside.

"Thank you for coming, Clint. Kayla's in pretty bad shape. She thinks there's a chance she can save Romanoff though. But we need your help."

Clint Barton nodded at Steve's words, biting the inside of his cheek thoughtfully, "I was pretty clear when I brought back the stone that it couldn't be undone."

"She has the stone inside of her, Clint. It's fighting for control of her. Even if this doesn't work, she has to try, because it could be the only way to destroy the stone." Steve answered quickly, gesturing for Clint to come inside the house.

As Clint entered, he nodded casually at Sam and Bucky before formally addressing Mathew Ellis and his wife. "It's nice to see you again, Sir. You have a beautiful home."

"Thank you, Agent Barton. We hope you can be of some assistance. Our daughter isn't doing well, and you were the one to retrieve this Soul Stone in the first place were you not?" Mathew asked gently as he released Clint's hand.

"Yes sir, I was," Clint replied cautiously before turning. He heard her before he saw her, as Kayla's low boots clicked down the stairs. Her hair was wet, but she was already wearing her uniform, ready to leave once she got the information she needed.

"Hey, Barton." Kayla greeted weakly, forcing a smile. "I, uh, need your help."

"So I've heard. You gotta know I'm not coming with you."

"I wasn't planning on asking you to. I have a team." Kayla nodded toward Wanda and Carol who were already suited up. "We'll head upstate and use Bruce's quantum tunnel to go back in time to when we lost Nat. I'm going to try to bring her back, I just have to know how it happened."

Clint looked from Wanda to Carol as he ran his tongue along the inside of his lower lip. His expression said he didn't want to do this, and that Kayla wouldn't like what he had to tell her, "You sure you want to know?"

"You don't even have to tell me. I can see it for myself." Kayla told the archer nervously, as she took a step closer, and he eyed her warily, his lightning reflexes prepared to stop her if he needed to. "Don't be afraid. I've been working hard the past few days to control it."

Kayla pressed her fingers to Clint's head, and suddenly she was in his body, dangling from a cliff. She looked down and saw Natasha holding his hand, but she was slipping.

"Let me go." Natasha said, and even though there was fear in her eyes, there was the smallest smile on her lips, "It's okay." She said again, before pushing her boots against the rocks and lunging off the side of the cliff to her death. Clint looked back up at the rope, and Kayla couldn't change what he saw in his memory. He turned his eyes back to his partner, and that's when Kayla saw her, dead.

Kayla snapped back to reality, pulling her hand away like she'd been bitten by a viper. She cried out as she staggered backward, holding onto her chest. "It was just like my dream."

"What?" Steve asked, coming to her side to hold her shoulders as she shook uncontrollably. "What did you see?"

"I saw her die. Everything I saw was just how Clint saw it. The way she died, it was just like I saw it in my dream. But when I dreamt it, it wasn't her." Kayla cried, thrusting her face against Steve's chest as he wrapped his arms around her, holding him tightly.

"Shhh, it's okay Kay. It's the stone playing with your mind, it's not a premonition. It's going to be okay." Steve assured Kayla, but he didn't know what she'd seen in her dream. He had a pretty good idea though.

"You really think you can bring her back?" Clint asked as his voice broke.

"We're going to try," Carol answered for Kayla. "Let's get moving. The sooner we go, the sooner we get that stone out of you. And hopefully, get Nat back."

Steve tilted Kayla's chin up to look at her, "Hey, I'll come with, I'll protect you."

"No. Please stay with James. I can't let it happen-" Kayla croaked, and Steve's suspicions about her dream were proven correct. Kayla forced her head down, unable to look Steve in the eye, "I'm gonna fix this somehow. For the baby." Kayla held her stomach, noticing that in the two weeks since she'd accepted she was pregnant, she was started to show ever so slightly. A super baby, much like her first.

"When you get home, we're done with this life. We're gonna settle down with the dogs and the kids and we're going to live a normal life. No more Infinity Stones and gods and aliens. Just us. Okay?"

"Okay." Kayla agreed, pressing a kiss to Steve's lips. "I love you, Steve Rogers."

"And I love you, Kayla Rogers." He echoed, allowing her to pull away and turn to Carol and Wanda. "You gonna carry us there?"

"I'll do you one better." Clint offered, nodding toward the quinjet on the lawn. "It's the least I can do, even if it's not on the way home."

Tiffany leaned against Sam as she watched her best friend follow the other two superhumans into the jet. Kayla turned around and gave her family a short wave as Clint closed the rear hatch. Once closed off, Kayla shuffled over to sit near the front of the jet, leaning against the cool metal. She breathed through her mouth as she tried to focus her mind, but she couldn't help but read the people around her.

Clint was surprisingly hopeful. His soul was broken, he'd gotten back his family at a great cost. He was trying very hard to put it back together as he considered the possibility of saving his partner. She hadn't been gone long, and her death was still fresh in his mind. Carol's confidence radiated through her. She had found her purpose in life, and her soul was dedicated to helping make the world better. Wanda was sad. Not for any particular reason, but her very being felt heavy. Kayla wasn't surprised, after all, Wanda had lost almost everyone she loved. Her small band of friends took care of her, but they couldn't fill the void left by her family.

And then there was Kayla herself. Her soul was burdened with purpose. She had a power that she didn't know how to use, and the worst part was the only thing she cared about was saving the people that mattered to _her._ The fate of the universe didn't so much both Kayla as much as the fate as the people who made _her _life better. It's not that she didn't care about the greater good, but everything she did was for herself. She'd never been aware of her selfishness until recently. She decided if she ever rid herself of this damn stone she'd do something to help others for once. To be like Steve.

"We're here." Clint called from the cockpit of the quinjet, and Kayla sparked awake from her trance. She stood and looked out the window as Clint landed, seeing the quantum tunnel alone in the woods. "Do we need to contact Bruce-"

"No, I can do it. Let's go." Kayla interrupted and led the others out off the jet to the platform amongst the trees. Kayla looked around, then her eyes settled on the control console. "We meet again." She mumbled, then went into the yellow tent nearby and reappeared with three time-space GPS bands. "Alright, I'll set it up. We all know the plan? I know where and when we're going. It's not going to be pleasant."

"I didn't figure it would be." Carol mocked, running her fingers through her short blonde hair. "Set it up. The sooner we get there, the sooner we get that stone out of you and go home."

"Good luck, Rogers." Clint called from where he leaned against the quinjet as Kayla revved up the quantum tunnel. "Don't do anything stupid."

Kayla climbed the steps to stand with Wanda and Carol, looking back over her shoulder at Clint wearily as she hit the button on her GPS and her quantum suit stretched over her body, "I don't make promises I can't keep." Then she hit the button and the three of them vanished.

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_FernieRee-_**_ Yeah, Kayla has a letting go/dying complex because everyone she knows who has 'died' ends up coming back- Herself, Steve, those dusted. Kayla can't let go of Natasha because she's so sure that there's a way to undo her death. But I promise there is character development for her down the road because of it! Also next chapter we get to see more of Carol!_

_**19vanelkc**\- I love that you guys all love some Carol Danvers! Unfortunately, we won't be seeing too much of her... or anybody... for reasons..._


	5. Chapter 5

Vormir 2014 looked exactly like Kayla's dream and Hawkeye's memories. The three women materialized at the base of the mountain.

Carol's helmet flew off as she looked around, her fists already glowing and ready to fight if she needed to. "Eyes up. We need to stay undetected until after Nat's sacrifice."

Kayla looked up, her enhanced hearing detecting a scuffle several thousand feet above them, "They are here."

"Then we need to move. We don't want to change anything from this reality." Wanda hissed and signaled the other two to press against the side of the rocks. Her long coat got caught on a jagged edge and she struggled for a moment to release it. The movement from the Scarlet Witch distracted Captain Marvel and Kayla just long enough for them to miss Natasha lunge from the side of the cliff and fall, hitting the ground with a deafening crack.

Kayla turned around with wide eyes that instantly filled with tears. Even though she knew what was about to happen, she wasn't ready to be ten feet away from the scene of her friend's demise. Carol grabbed Kayla and held her in a tight hug, not to comfort the woman, but to keep her face away from the dead assassin before them.

"She died on impact," Wanda said sadly, finally able to draw her gaze from the corpse to look up at the mountain and see a massive stream of light shoot between the two towers, and Hawkeye disappeared from where he hung on the cliff. "Clint's gone. Now's the time Kayla."

Carol released her grip on the super-soldier. Kayla turned around quickly, ready to try her luck at saving her friend. She approached Natasha and looked into her open green eyes. Her lifeless green eyes. "I can't do this." Kayla turned away, hiding her mouth behind her hand as she hyperventilated.

"You have to try. It's why we came all this way." Carol said gently, with a sense of compassion that she didn't normally offer the emotional blonde.

Kayla forced herself to look back at Natasha and knelt beside her, wincing when she felt Nat's warm blood seep through her uniform at her knee. Kayla pressed her hand to Natasha's still chest and focused-

Suddenly she was back in the Soul Realm. It was the gala again, and she was back in her long blue dress. Her stilettos were once again submerged as she approached Natasha and Gamora at the round table where they chatted. When she approached, Gamora looked impressed and Natasha annoyed.

"I thought I told you not to do this." Natasha told Kayla cooly, clenching and unclenching her fist to stay calm. "Go home."

"I'm not leaving until I'm rid of this stone and I have you alive by my side," Kayla's confidence in her plan was fading, but she put on an act just the same. Something about the ballroom and the music and the dance floor and the memories made her fall back into the habit of pretending. She'd been so real for so long she forgot that she could become whoever she wanted to be.

Gamora smiled weakly at Natasha as the redhead's demeanor went from angry to worried, "Kayla... you don't understand. It was an everlasting exchange, I will spend eternity here. Even if you could bring me back, I won't leave Gamora here alone."

Kayla looked to the green woman who shook her head, tsking at Natasha's nobility, "Perhaps you are just another pawn in a bigger plan. The stone called her here. The stone knows what it's planning. It has a mind of its own."

"What do I need to do?" Kayla asked Gamora, and the green woman just smiled sadly, her long black and red hair falling over her leather jacket.

"Ask the Stonekeeper."

Kayla was pulled back to reality, and looked up at Wanda and Carol, then looked around expectantly. "The Stonekeeper. Gamora said to ask the Stonekeeper."

"Who the hell is the Stonekeeper? How do we find him?" Carol groaned, placing her hands on her hips before she was interrupted by a deep voice behind her.

"Carol- daughter of Joseph. Kayla- daughter of Matthew. Wanda- daughter of Django. You've come to a shrine for a treasure that's already been taken... But you seem to already know that."

Carol and Wanda turned to the wraith with their hands already glowing as Kayla looked up from where knelt slowly, recognizing the voice from her dream. She took in the creature before them as he came into the light, revealing his hideous face.

Flashes of memories flooded Kayla's mind of a time long long ago and a man she knew very well. The Valkeryie. The Tesseract. The Captain.

Kayla fell onto her ass and crawled away from Natasha, away from the monster before her. "You... you're-"

The Red Skull's eyes studied the stammering blonde a moment longer as he wafted toward them. His dark eyes focused on her stomach, seeming to get a read on the child within her. His own eyes widened as his jaw slacked into a wicked smile, "...And the daughter of Steven."

"We've come to get our friend back. And to return the Soul Stone. You're the Stonekeeper aren't you? How do we get it out of her?" Carol asked, taking a step toward Red Skull as his attention left the shivering woman on the ground to the more confident, glowing blonde before him.

"The Infinity Stones have rested out of my reach for almost eighty years and now I think the one I've guarded has taken mercy on me." He sneered, looking back to Kayla as her own hands began to glow orange. She didn't get up. She couldn't feel her legs. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.

But she saw into his soul, and she saw how dark and full of hatred it was. She saw the moment the Space Stone cast him out as the Stonekeeper. The world had thought him dead, just as they had with Steve. Apparently, both of Erskine's super-soldiers survived their fate.

"Easy." Wandra growled quietly as she twisted her hands, keeping her magic alive and ready, "The stone will not go to you. Not until we get Natasha back." Kayla looked at her with panicked eyes, realizing Wanda was prepared to make a deal.

"We can't give him the stone!" Kayla yelped, finally scrambling to her feet as her heart pounded loudly in her chest, "He can't have it. He's the father of Hydra. The vindictive Red Skull- Steve thought he'd killed him. He's the reason that Steve crashed into the ice."

"So Captain America is still alive? And has a child on the way no less...Perhaps the stone would barter a deal. A soul for a soul." Red Skull offered, spreading his ghostly red fingers toward the women. He met Kayla's eyes and saw the defiance in them. It was the same defiance that Captain Rogers had when he'd fought him so many years ago. "You want to be rid of the stone. It drives you mad."

"I seek to destroy the stone, not give it away." Kayla spat back, pulling her long blond hair over her shoulder, "I'll find another way. Or I'll go mad, but I'll never give the stone to you."

"Have it your way." The Red Skull threatened and began to retreat, "It will eat away your soul until you don't even recognize who you are. What will your precious Captain America think of you then?"

At his words, Kayla hung her head, her lip quivering as Carol's eyes stayed locked on Red Skull, Wanda turned to Kayla, trying to telepathically tell her friend that they'd find a way. They always found a way. "Wait-"

Red Skull smiled wickedly before he turned back to the woman, seeing her come to his deal like a moth to a flame. "Yes?"

"Do I have the power to bring someone's soul back from the dead?"

"I don't know, why don't you try it and find out." Red Skull replied evenly, waiting patiently to see the power of the stone he could never possess. His cloak moved in the wind as his taught face watched Kayla raise her hands over Natasha Romanoff's body, and pull with all her might, bringing the woman's soul into their world.

"Natasha?" Wanda gasped, seeing the apparition of her friend standing alongside her body. "Oh God, Nat-"

"Don't do this Kayla, it's a trap!" Natasha yelped, but Kayla's golden eyes were already focused on pulling Natasha's soul back into her body. Kayla grit her teeth and strained her fingers the way Wanda always did when she focused hard on her magic. She pulled Nat back down and blasted the body with everything in her, and the Soul Stone itself began to release its grip on Kayla from the strain.

Carol and Wanda were focused on Kayla as she put everything she had into resurrecting her friend, and Carol was lucky to glimpse to the right at the just the perfect moment to see the Stonekeeper approaching Kayla from the side. "Shit!" Carol blasted Red Skull, but he reached out and grabbed onto the essence of golden smoke that hung in the air around Kayla and yanked it to himself.

Kayla quickly changed the direction of her focus and turned on Schmidt, blasting him with everything she could muster. She didn't realize that Natasha had warned her, it was a trap, and she'd fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. As Kayla tried to blast Red Skull away, he began using the Soul Stone to pull the power from her, and after moment Kayla realized she wasn't hitting him, he was pulling her. "No." She murmured as she felt the power drain from her body into the wraith. She got a hold of whatever power she still possessed as Wanda and Carol began blasting at Schmidt. Kayla growled at the monster before her as they stood chest to chest, a battle of wills, "I'm stronger than you."

"I'll take care of that!" Red Skull snarled, and grabbed onto Kayla's neck, lifting her off the ground and breaking Wanda's focus, causing her blasts to stop. Schmidt turned to Carol and used his free hand to knock her soul right out of her body, causing her to float in the air a moment before realizing what had happened. Schmidt squeezed Kayla harder, sucking out all of her strength, "You think you're so powerful now, do you?" He dropped her to the ground, power radiated from the two of them. Kayla collapsed as she reached for her neck, choking as she tried desperately to get air back in her lungs. Breathing was harder than it had been in years. Her body wasn't working as well as it should. She looked down at herself and realized her uniform was baggy, and her body was slim.

He'd sucked the super soldier serum right out of her along with the Soul Stone.

Red Skull chuckled as, to Kayla's horror, the serum from her blood worked to correct the damage his original serum had done. She watched as skin formed around his red face and bony fingers, and he found himself standing on solid ground once again. Alive again. Able to leave Vorimir again.

"You... you knew I would come. If I hadn't taken the stone it would have been Steve-" Kayla gagged out, looking up at the man as he stepped on her stomach, pushing her and her child down.

"I didn't know. But the stone did. Go home to Captain America, and show him what the Red Skull can do." He laughed, pushing hard against Kayla and knocking her into the dirt. "Tell him he's next. But not until he watches me take away everything and everyone he loves."

Suddenly, Schmidt was electrocuted and stumbled a step before Wanda was able to grab him and discard him away. She looked to see who had taken him down and saw Natasha Romanoff, her legs shaking, but her body seemingly working. "Let's get out of here."

With the Red Skull gone, Carol's soul was sucked back into her body, and she grabbed at her torso nervously, as if she needed proof to believe she was back in one piece. "Did we give the Soul Stone to a Nazi maniac?"

"Yes." Kayla whimpered, "And- and I think he might have killed my baby." She shook and cried, holding her stomach as she struggled to breathe through the tears. "I can't feel her anymore. He said it was a little girl-"

"Shhh, Kayla, you don't know that. You- you don't have enhanced senses anymore, you don't feel things as strongly anymore without the serum, it's going to take a while for you to adjust. You don't know that she's gone." Natasha knelt beside Kayla and winced, her broken neck still fractured even after Kayla bringing back her soul. Wanda worked carefully to move the bones in Natasha's neck as she comforted Kayla, hoping the two would distract each other from the pain.

"We need to go. Now." Carol told the other three women, and synched up Natasha's GPS to bring her back to their new future. "And go." They all pressed the button at the same time, except Kayla, who stayed behind for a moment, staring off into the snowy void of Vorimir, where she saw the shadow of Johann Schmidt walking toward her. She hit her own GPS and was sent hurtling back home.


	6. Chapter 6

The four women arrived together on the quantum tunnel platform, and Wanda was surprised to see Clint was still there with the quinjet. He looked up casually at their return, not seeming to have much faith in their success, but he was proven wrong by the sight of his dead partner.

"Natasha!" Clint screeched as he bolted up the side of the platform to envelop Nat in a loving hug. "Natasha, I can't believe they did it. I can't believe you're back... I'm so fucking mad at you for beating me. You know that?"

"I love you too, Clint" Natasha admitted quietly, holding onto Barton with all her strength. After a few moments, he finally released his grip on her and turned to the others. "Any luck getting the Soul Stone out?- Kayla-"

He saw her on the ground, shaking violently, thin as a rail. Carol hoisted the woman to her feet and held her up easily. "We've got to get her to a doctor. Call Banner, now!"

"No, I need to see Steve." Kayla choked out, but the words put a strain on her already weak throat, and she began to cough as she stumbled.

"Doctor, now!" Carol repeated and Clint got in the quinjet, calling Bruce as he got situated into the pilot's seat. Wanda came on the other side of Kayla and helped carry her in and they gently deposited her in a seat as she continued to shake, staring ahead like she'd seen a ghost.

As Clint took them into the air, he pulled up Bruce on the quinjet's live stream, "Banner, we need you, what's your twenty? We're picking you up."

"What's happened?" Professor Hulk asked as he sat down the chopsticks he'd been eating his dinner with. "I'm at my lab... what's happened?"

"Kayla's been compromised. She's been depleted of the serum and she's dying. We need you, Bruce." Natasha cut in, and at the sight of the redhead, Banner's mouth opened in awe.

"Natasha? You're- you're alive? I tried so hard-"

"There's no time for that now, we need you or she's going to die. She already thinks she's lost the baby..." Natasha spat back, and Bruce could see she wasn't being nasty, she was terrified.

"I'll bring my bag, meet me on the roof in ten minutes."

"We'll be there," Clint answered as he switched off the screen. "How's she doing back there?"

"She's not bleeding?" Wanda said questioningly, unsure of how to describe the zombie-like trance Kayla had fallen into. "Kay... Kay! Snap out of it!" Wanda snapped her fingers in front of Kayla and the woman grabbed her slender hand quickly, looking up at her with sunken, tear-stained eyes.

Clint landed the quinjet on the roof of Bruce's lab and Banner sprinted into the jet, dropping his bag as he knelt beside Kayla. "What happened?"

"I got the serum sucked out of me. It's like getting hit by a bus." Kayla groaned and Bruce pulled out a syringe and filled it with her blood before pulling out his stethoscope and doing tests. "Bruce... Bruce the baby..."

"One thing at a time Kayla, I'll get to it."

"Her. It's a girl. That's what Schmidt said. Johann Schmidt. The Red Skull. The man who tried to _fucking kill my husband_ in 1945!" Kayla snarled toward Clint and the archer didn't even look over his shoulder.

"He didn't give us a history lesson while we were there. We never even got a name. How's she lookin Doc? We should be back at her house in about twenty minutes." Clint called over his shoulder.

Bruce pressed the stethoscope to her stomach, listening closely before he pulled it away slowly, "The heartbeat is faint. She's still with us now, but, I don't know if she'll make it. We need to get you to an actual hospital with specialists. Take us to the hospital instead of the house. We don't have time."

"What about Steve?" Kayla coughed as Clint started taking the jet down in front of the closest hospital he could find.

"I'll go get him, Banner and Nat can take you to get checked out. Go!"

Banner scooped up Kayla and carried her through the hospital doors, yelling that he needed a doctor fast.

* * *

Steve hit the ground running as fast as he could with Tiffany and Sandra chasing after him into the hospital. Once inside, he looked around with wild, terrified eyes until he saw the receptionist's desk. The woman behind the computer looked up at him without haste, asking who he was here to see.

"My wife. Kayla Rogers. She was brought in by Bruce Banner. I doubt you missed them." He retorted quickly, grinding his teeth as the young woman with pink streaks in her blonde hair tested his patience.

"I need to see an ID please." She asked with absolutely no recognition of the man before her.

"He's Captain Steven Rogers. Captain America? We need to see his wife!" Tiffany screeched, but the girl behind the counter just shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"No ID, no admittance."

"Hi, I'm Sandra Ellis, former First Lady of the United States, is this enough identification for you to let my son-in-law see my daughter?" Sandra slapped her driver's license on the counter harshly, causing the girl to jump and look quickly from the card to the woman who'd handed it to her. She handed the ID back to Mrs. Ellis and gave them all badges.

"She's in Intensive Care. Top floor, they'll get you a room number up there." The girl mumbled, but Steve was already sprinting toward the elevator, pushing the button frantically until it broke.

Mathew Ellis walked up beside Steve and placed a solid grip on the soldier's shoulder, "She's gonna be okay Steve. My daughter is the strongest woman I know. She's alive, that's what matters. You have a healthy son at home with your best friend. Everything is going to be fine."

Steve forced a smile at his father-in-law and the elevator dinged and he held the door open and allowed Matt to lead the way. The Former President pushed the button for the top floor, afraid Cap would break it and they'd never get to Kayla. Sandra, Wanda, and Tiffany scuttled into the elevator as the door began to close.

Steve tapped his leather shoe against the floor of the elevator as the five stood in silence. Mathew tossed his arm around his wife's shoulder and Sandra stared up at the ceiling, silently praying that their daughter would be alright. Tiffany had both arms wrapped around Wanda's torso, leaning into the taller woman as she fought back tears. Wanda didn't bring any attention to the comfort she brought the little brunette, wiggling her free hand to pour a feeling of calm over Tiffany.

The moment the doors opened, Steve bolted out into the corridor, spinning around frantically for someone he knew. He caught a glimpse of green by the nurse's station down the hall. "Bruce! Bruce- where is she?" As Steve skid to a stop next to Banner, he looked around again until he saw a familiar redhead seated next to a hospital bed behind a closed door.

"Cap... Steve, there's something you need to know..." Bruce tried to get the soldier's attention, but he was drawn to the closed door. He was focused on one thing, and one thing only. He flung open the hospital door and almost fell to his knees when he saw her.

Kayla was hooked up to tubes and IVs. Her long hair was stuck to her sweaty, thin neck as she rested with her eyes closed. She wasn't even aware that he was there.

"Kay?" Steve whimpered as he approached, and two nurses tried to usher him out after breaking into the hospital room.

"She's sedated. We were afraid she'd have a heart attack at the rate she was going. Her body is struggling." Natasha explained quietly. She still wore her Black Widow uniform, and there was still dried blood on the back of her neck. When Steve finally met her eyes, he found hers welling up, "It's... been a minute." Steve passed the nurses trying to get the man's attention and pulled Natasha into his arms, holding her roughly against his chest as he cried into her neck.

"It worked. You're back. She saved you." Steve cried against the Black Widow, not loosening his grip on his partner and friend. "I'm so happy you are here."

"She shouldn't have come to save me. There's something you need to know, about Vormir. About the Stonekeeper-" Natasha was cut off by a doctor in a long white lab coat floating into the hospital room.

"Sir, she can only have one visitor at a time, I'm going to need to ask you to leave." The doctor told Steve firmly, and he let go of Natasha to stare daggers at the doctor. He was about to threaten the dark-haired man when Natasha interrupted him.

"I'll go. He's her husband. I... haven't gotten a chance to tell him how she's doing." Natasha stammered, backing out of the room to join Wanda, Tiffany, and Kayla's parents.

"Mr. Rogers I presume?" The doctor changed his tone as Natasha clicked the door closed behind her. "Your wife's in pretty rough shape, Mr. Rogers."

"Captain." Steve corrected, his eyes locked onto his sleeping wife's face, "Captain Rogers. What can you tell me about her and the baby?"

The doctor took a deep breath but kept his face neutral as he watched Kayla alongside Steve, "Her body is shutting down. We are doing the best we can, but she's very weak. I don't understand how this happened. Doctor Banner deals with things... beyond our expertise. The redhead's been tight-lipped. I'm not optimistic about her chances Captain."

"And the baby?" Steve choked out, a tear falling down his cheek as his heart plummeted.

"The baby's too small. If she doesn't make it, neither will they." The doctor said evenly, knowing the information wasn't what the burly man wanted to hear.

Steve nodded, swallowing back his tears, "I understand. Will she wake up? Can I talk to her?"

"We'll wake her up soon. Now that you're here she should calm down. She's been crying for you since they brought her here." The doctor said, writing something on Kayla's chart as he left. "Let us know if you have any questions, Captain Rogers."

"Thank you, sir," Steve mumbled, taking Natasha's seat next to Kayla. He grabbed her hand and rubbed the skin on her knuckles near the IV. With his other hand, Steve rubbed his face roughly before smoothing back his messy hair. "Hey, Kay. I don't know if you can hear me, but, I hope you can. This is what we always worried about with the serum. You always said that they would want to run tests on you and that you'd be a lab rat and here we are." Steve squeezed her hand a little tighter and felt her bones crack beneath his touch. He pulled away, realizing he'd hurt his wife and put his face in his hands as he sobbed. "I'm so sorry Kay. I'm so sorry I let this happen to you. I promised I'd protect you and take care of you and all I did was fight and fight and now you're here and I don't know if you'll ever get home. I'm so scared Kay. I'm so scared."

"I did this." Kayla croaked, and Steve's face rose so quickly it made his head spin. Kayla coughed a little and pulled her head to the side to get a better look at Steve through her bloodshot eyes. "I never should have taken the Soul Stone. But I don't regret saving Nat. I just didn't think... I didn't think Steve."

"Shh, honey, it's okay, it's okay." He cooed to the sick woman as he leaned forward to smooth away some loose hair. "You're gonna get better, baby. You'll get better and then we'll live a normal life. No more fighting. No more Avengers. Just you and me and the kids like I promised."

Kayla began to cry as her eyes looked up at the ceiling and her monitors began going crazy, "Steve- he's going to kill us all. He- he took the Soul Stone, and he drained my super-soldier serum, and- and he's going to come for us, for me, for James, and then you- he's going to kill you, Steve-"

The doctor came in as Kayla began to cry, and Steve held onto her hand, even though he could feel her bones cracking even more as she wept, "Who is, Kay? What are you talking about?"

"Sir, we're going to need you to leave." The doctor ordered, but Steve planted his feet into the tile, unwilling to leave his wife's side and follow orders. His blue eyes bore into Kayla as she winced in pain, trying to elicit an answer from her.

"Kayla, who are you talking about?"

"The Stonekeeper. He was Johann Schmidt. And now he has my serum. And an Infinity Stone."

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_FernieRee:_**_ I know... I know... even I feel bad for the baby._

_**amberhardy:** Steve and Schmidt will meet again, but not for quite a while. I agree- it's not as simple as Steve just returning the stone and forgiving Schmidt for everything that happened in the forties. I'm really excited for everyone to read what's coming for Steve because I wanted to push him to his breaking point and act like a normal human who is hurting and frustrated and I'm really happy with how it all turned out!_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Author's Note:_**_ Please be advised- this chapter is very intense and deals with some pretty dark themes. The things talked about and dealt with are not done so in a life-accurate scientific way, but it's really just people who know each other trying to talk about some very hard things._

**_Siobhan-_**_ I'm glad you are enjoying the story! Unfortunately, things for Kayla are going to get worse before they get better. _

Steve reeled from Kayla's information as Kayla was sedated again, falling back into sleep as Steve slowly backed away from her bedside. Perhaps she was delusional, perhaps removing the super-soldier serum was giving her hallucinations in her weakened state?

_Red Skull was killed by the Tesseract in 1945. He held it, and it- it... opened a portal. He didn't disintegrate, he was flown off-world by the Space Stone. He never died... and he knows I have a wife and child._

Steve covered his gaping mouth with his large hand as he turned, looking out the blinds to the hospital room. Natasha was standing with Tiffany and Wanda while Bruce updated Kayla's parents on her condition. Steve didn't know if he could face her family. He was so _angry_ at his wife for what she had done. She went on a suicide mission to Vormir to bring back Natasha and put her own life and their child's in danger because of it. If she died, so would Steve's daughter.

His daughter.

He was going to have a little girl. And Kayla didn't seem fazed by the concept of their children getting hurt, not until now- when the proof was clear as her slim body. Red Skull was powerful, and he had set his sights on destroying Steve Rogers.

"Captain Rogers, Doctor Banner would like to speak with you." One of the nurses gently nudged Steve's arm, her hand lingering on the dark blue jacket longer than it should have, but she couldn't resist touching him.

Steve left the hospital room as Sandra and Mathew traded places with him. Clearly being the former President had some perks, as they hadn't made much of a fuss about the two going in together. Steve placed his hand on the receptionist's desk where Banner stood and leaned against it. "The doctor said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Do you know if she had any more serum? Her system is shutting down after having that extra layer of protection all these years. He really did a number on her, and I think we're gonna need it to save her." Bruce explained quickly in a hushed voice so the doctors around wouldn't hear all about Kayla's hobby.

"I didn't realize she had serum lying around... is that what was in the darts you found, Doctor Banner?" Steve asked quietly, looking over his shoulder to make sure the receptionist was still on the phone.

Bruce nodded at the Captain with sad eyes, "Yeah. Didn't work though."

"If it didn't work then why would I give it to her now? Even if her body is failing at least they know exactly what's happening. If we give her serum they won't know how to help her, and she could have a terrible reaction to it, or worse... I gave her a blood transfusion in Wakanda, could we do that again?"

"She doesn't have any serum left Steve. A blood transfusion would surely kill her. It's different now. She's just a regular human being." Bruce told Steve as he placed his large green hand on Cap's shoulder, "There's something else you should know. I-I asked if I could be the one to tell you."

Steve looked up at Banner with dark blue eyes, a deep-set frown already plaguing his tired face, "What is it Bruce?"

Bruce sighed, taking off his glasses as he looked down at the ground, rubbing the bridge of his nose anxiously, "They think the baby could be a vegetable. There's a very weak heartbeat, but... there seems to be some cranial damage, Steve. The baby was growing rapidly, much like your son, but- we aren't sure if it will without the serum in Kayla's blood. We don't know if it'll grow at all."

Captain America took in the information without blinking, staring at Banner as if the Hulk had hurt his baby himself. Bruce saw the man shake in his leather shoes, and his grip on the metal counter tightened as he imprinted his hand into it. He nodded once, swallowing as he did before speaking, "What do they suggest we do? Do we... get rid of her?"

"Not necessarily. They can't be positive that it'll have brain damage until it's born. It's still alive right now, so if Kayla survives she could potentially carry it full term." Bruce explained optimistically, but Steve's mind got stuck on 'if Kayla survives' before he caught the last part.

He ground his teeth together with his tight jaw, eyes darting around as he contemplated his options, "If we get the baby out now is there a chance they can both survive?"

"She's only been pregnant a month Steve, there's not even enough of a baby to-"

"If we take the baby out now will Kayla survive?" Steve cut off Bruce, looking at the hospital room with furious eyes. He'd been given the impossible choice. His family was being torn apart by his wife's recklessness, but he couldn't let her die. He wouldn't let her die.

"It's not really affecting her at this point, Cap. That wouldn't guarantee she'd live. It would only guarantee your child would die." Bruce answered carefully, seeing how stiff Steve's shoulders were under his jacket and how he looked like he could punch the life out of the next person he saw. "I just wanted you to hear it from me."

"I need some air." Steve stormed away, and the receptionist stood up at the sound of his stomping away, seeing the dent in her workspace left by the super-soldier. Her eyes followed him to the elevator where he waited impatiently for it to arrive and take him downstairs and away from his irresponsible wife.

* * *

"I never should have let her out of my sight... I never should have let her go to Vormir, and I should have made sure all the stones were in the case before I left." Steve mumbled to himself as he paced the grassy courtyard between buildings of the hospital. The sky was a cruel shade of happy blue that betrayed the storm raging inside his heart. The stone had been controlling Kayla, but she didn't fight it, she let it take her and make her someone else, someone dangerous. What if she had hurt James? They didn't spend five years mourning the loss of their son for Kayla to time travel her ass back to an alien planet to save someone who had accepted they were going to die.

"I told her it was a trap. She didn't listen."

Steve looked up from the patch of grass he was kicking at to see Natasha standing in front of him. "She never does. Kayla doesn't understand the word "no". I'm pretty sure she thinks no means do it anyway."

Natasha smiled a little at Steve's assessment of his wife, and she reached out and grabbed his hand, "I'm thankful for her though. She's a good friend. Even if she's a bad listener."

"I'm happy you are back Nat, I really am, but I'm hurting. Not only did she almost get herself killed, but she freed one of the most insane, wicked people who've ever walked this Earth. And he's hellbent on one thing, and that's hurting me. Because of her, our children will suffer. She just doesn't think."

"Do you love her?" Natasha asked bluntly, giving Steve's hand a squeeze to tell him he was holding her a little too hard. "Do you want to be with her?"

"I want her to understand that her actions have consequences," Steve grunted back, ignoring the other two questions.

Natasha's jaw fell open, realizing what Steve was insinuating as she pulled her hand away, "Don't do it, Steve. It'll destroy her."

"I just need some time."

"What about your son?" Natasha pressed as Steve began to turn toward the main doors of the hospital.

"I'll protect him. I'll take care of him until she's ready to be a good mother to him. I need her to prove that she's not going to put anything above this family." Steve promised, not looking back over his shoulder at Natasha.

"What about everything we've all been through together? You're just going to throw away your marriage? What will that do to the Avengers?"

Steve lowered his head and looked at Nat out of the corner of his eye, "Maybe she should have considered that before she gave Johann Schmidt the Soul Stone to save herself. If she didn't want it, she shouldn't have stolen it."

And with that, Steve Rogers walked away from Nat, leaving her to give Kayla the news of her husband's departure alone. She walked back into the hospital and smiled weakly at all the people who gave her weird looks for being in a bloody catsuit with weapons strapped to her back. She rode the elevator back up to the top floor, and when the doors opened, Wanda and Tiffany greeted her with confused looks.

"Where's Steve?" Tiffany asked slowly, knowing that the Captain's absence was a very bad sign.

Natasha cleared her throat, crossing her arms defensively, "He, uh, said he needs some time."

Tiffany's eyes widened as Wanda's head dropped in shame. "What?" Tiffany yelped, earning a shush from the receptionist, "You mean he's gone? He _left _her? Who's going to watch James while she's recovering?"

"He's taking his son with him," Natasha replied quietly, taking a shaky breath as Tiffany ran her fingers through her brunette hair in disbelief. Natasha looked toward the closed door as doctors replaced Kayla's IVs. "I need to tell her."

"No, no not yet, she's not doing well. It would actually kill her." Tiffany jumped in front of Natasha with her hands up to stop the taller assassin. "We need to get her strength up. There's no use in breaking her heart just for her to die knowing her husband left her."

"I don't know what he's thinking." Wanda's deep Sokovian voice murmured quietly, her eyes glowing a frustrated deep red, "Steve is a noble man. He's always trying to protect those he cares about."

Natasha smiled grimly at her friend, squeezing her own arms with her fingers to ground herself, "He thinks he is."

* * *

Beep.

Kayla winced at the noise, scrunching up her nose as she wiggled her mouth.

Beep.

She opened her green eyes a little, the world was fuzzy but bright. Her head hurt terribly.

Beep.

Everything was quiet except for the monitors. The steady beep proved she was still alive, but if she had to gauge by the way her body felt, she wasn't so sure. She'd taken a lot of hits over the past nine years, but this... this was something else.

Beep.

Click.

The door closed behind Tiffany as Kayla's best friend took a seat next to the hospital bed. "How ya doing Kay?"

"Dying. But, what else is new?" Kayla joked with a weak chuckle that shook her chest more than it should have. "But I'll pull through. Serum or no serum, I'm gonna make it. If I don't, the baby will die. You know it's a girl, right? That's what... that's what Schmidt said anyway." Kayla's voice trailed off as the fog began to lift a little, illuminating the hospital room but staying fuzzy just the same. "I, uh, haven't worn my glasses in almost ten years. I might need those back."

"Wow, that super soldier serum really spoiled you didn't it?" Tiff forced a laugh, trying to make a joke, but she knew nothing could soften the blow she was about to deliver. Banner and Natasha both told the group what they knew, and Tiffany decided she would be the one to tell Kayla about her breaking family. It was her duty as Kayla's best friend to tell her the hard things. The doctors were telling the Ellis family that their daughter was recovering, slowly but surely. She'd taken a turn for the better, which surprised even the best doctors there, but, as Kayla said, she wasn't ready to die until her daughter was safe.

Kayla rolled her eyes a little, turning her head back to look at the ceiling again. She took a deep breath, and a content smile broke across her face. "How's Steve? Is he taking a break from the hospital?"

"Yeah, something like that," Tiffany mumbled in return, and Kayla just smiled on, not prepared in the slightest for what she was about to hear.

"Good, I don't want him here dwelling. I don't want him to worry." Kayla admitted, aiming her hopeful smile at Tiffany, "I'm feeling a little better. Weak, but better. I'm gonna pull through this, Tiff."

Tiffany forced another smile but it came out sad, "I know you are, Kay." She took her friend's hand, trying to figure out which of the terrible things to deliver first, "I, uh, I need to talk to you about something though. It's about the baby."

Kayla's smile dropped from her face like a pile of bricks, and her brows furrowed against her sweaty forehead, "What about her?"

"They, uh, the doctors say she's still alive. There's a heartbeat. It's faint, but it's there... she, uh, isn't showing any cranial activity though. They think she might be- well, she might be a vegetable already." Tiffany pushed out slowly, trying to assess Kayla's reaction before proceeding.

Kayla's lip began to quiver as she sucked in a deep breath through her mouth, the wind being taken right out of her, "What?" She whimpered sadly, looking for some sign of deceit in her best friend's face, but she found none. "No... no, she's... she's gonna be alright. She has to be alright. She's got super soldier blood-"

"She might have? We don't really know. You don't anymore, who's to say he didn't pull out her strength too. She's so little, and, there seems to be some sort of trauma to her head." Tiffany explained, choosing how to articulate the news with practiced precision.

"Is she gonna live?" Kayla gasped out, knowing this whole thing was her fault. She thought herself invincible. She was wrong.

"As of now, yeah, we won't know the extent of the damage until it's born... that is, if you decide to keep it."

"Of course I will." Kayla whimpered, moving her left hand to lay on her small stomach, "If she has even the slightest chance of survival, I'm gonna give it to her. I owe it to her."

Tiffany nodded understandingly, having figured that's the answer her friend would give, "It's gonna be a hard eight months if the baby makes it that long. Especially if its as bad as they suspect."

Kayla's whole jaw was quivering now as the tears began to stream down her pretty face, "What- what do we do now? What is Steve gonna say? He's gonna kill me. He'll never forgive me-"

"He already knows." Tiffany blurted sadly, and Kayla's pupil's eyes widened as she read Tiffany's face, knowing that look.

"Where is he?"

"He's gone. He needs to take some time." Tiffany informed Kayla evenly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Kayla nodded, swallowing as she took in the information, "Okay, yeah, a few days maybe?"

Tiffany opened her mouth to respond, but just sighed audibly instead, "I... don't think so."

"A few hours then?" Kayla joked, but there was no humor in her voice or expression. She just wanted Tiffany to play along. To act like this wasn't a big deal. To act like Steve would be back soon.

"I think it's gonna be a little longer than that, Kay. He's pretty upset."

"Oh. Okay. Well, umm, I'm sure he won't stay away from James for that long. He- he loves his boy. So much." Kayla rambled breathlessly, but Tiffany just clenched her teeth together. Kayla knew that look too. "No. No, he wouldn't. He wouldn't take my son... Tiffany. Tiffany, tell me it's not true."

Tiffany's dark, sympathetic eyes just stared at Kayla as the blonde began to break down, weeping uncontrollably as the nurses came back into the room to check on the dying girl with the broken heart.


	8. Chapter 8

It took two weeks for Kayla to be released from that hospital in New Jersey. Her parents stayed in a hotel nearby, alerting the press that something in the infamous family was happening. With half the world's population back from the dead, the rumors of Kayla Ellis being alive spread like wildfire, especially when her parents spent every day in the ICU. She hadn't been hiding during those five years while everyone was gone, and it was only a matter of time before the internet put together all the dots.

Natasha slept in the hospital chair every night, repaying the debt she owed Kayla for bringing her back to the land of the living. When Kayla would wake up crying in the middle of the night, Natasha would wipe her tears with the grey sleeve of her favorite sweatshirt and talk with her until Kayla fell back asleep, never leaving her side until the dawn came.

After a few days, Tiffany went back to the Ellis homestead to check on Sam and Bucky. She found their bags packed by the door, and Bucky couldn't meet her eye. Sam told her he'd call her as soon as they got settled. The three men were moving out, and Steve took his son with them. Tiffany didn't bring this update to Kayla until three days later when she returned to the hospital with flowers sent from Sam. Kayla loved the white roses. Sam knew better than to give her red ones. That was Steve's thing for her.

Bruce checked in every day, either in person or through video chat to check on his protege. He'd often tell her bad jokes and stories and make her laugh, even though Natasha could see it was just Kayla acting polite. Bruce would often speak with the doctors about her condition, and every day he'd pass that information on to Natasha, who would, in turn, distribute it as necessary to the others.

Clint took Wanda back to his farm when he left, offering some rest and a home-cooked meal after everything she'd endured. Wanda thought of Clint as a surrogate father, and she happily accepted his invitation and spent weeks playing with Clint's children and helping Laura around the house.

Steve Rogers wasn't heard from. Sam kept tight-lipped about the soldier's activities. Tiffany didn't pry, and Sam didn't offer. They became two neutral parties in the middle of a bitter war. Once Kayla got out of the hospital, she'd want her son, and things would only get more complicated from there.

Especially when a hospital employee snapped a photo of the former First Daughter walking down the grey hallway and posted it online, captioning it, 'Kayla Ellis alive and in critical condition'.

Kayla Dawn Ellis had been notorious in life and infamous in death, and her resurrection shot her right back into the spotlight. The woman had a building fall on her, how on Earth did she survive? And to make matters more complicated, she was pregnant... meaning she'd been alive long enough to conceive a child. Who was the father?

When the day came for Kayla to leave the hospital, she dressed in a loose tank top and sweatpants and wore dark sunglasses that Tiffany had brought for her. Mathew and Sandra arrived in their dark car and Mathew waited outside with the servicemen who had escorted himself and his wife to the hospital to pick up their daughter. Sandra went into the hospital to check out her daughter. She signed paperwork at the front desk as Kayla pulled her long blonde hair up into a messy bun on top of her head, securing it with several scrunchies to keep it in place. Holding her arms up hurt like hell, but then again, didn't everything?

Tiffany smiled grimly as she stood at the hospital door, waiting for her friend patiently. She wore a grey pencil skirt and matching jacket while her hair was pulled into a professional bun in the back of her head. Dark lipstick painted her lips as she addressed her best friend and former boss, "Are you ready for this?"

"Never thought I'd have to be, but here we are." Kayla retorted bitterly, pulling down the fabric of her red tank top. Tiffany turned and strode toward the automatic doors, causing them to fly open the flashes to start as Sandra led Kayla to the car waiting for them at the drop off zone.

"Miss Ellis, how are you still alive?"

"Miss Ellis! Did you fake your own death?"

"Kayla, were you ever really in the Triskellion when it collapsed?"

"Was this all just an elaborate ruse to get out of the spotlight? Did your parents even know you were alive?"

"Miss Ellis! Is it true you're pregnant? Who's the father!"

"Kayla Ellis, there've been rumors circulating for weeks that you were married to Captain America, is this true?"

Kayla ignored the questions with a tired wave of her right hand as one of the servicemen opened up the backseat door and allowed Kayla to slide in while Sandra slid in on the other side. Before the door closed, the photographers snapped photos of her spinning her wedding ring around, hiding the massive rock from suspecting eyes.

"Miss Ellis will not be taking any questions at this time. She asks that you please respect her privacy until an official statement is ready to be made." Tiffany explained loudly to the press as they continued to take pictures of Kayla through the tinted windows, catching a brief glimpse of her taking off her sunglasses as Tiffany moved around the car and got in the other side of the backseat before their driver whisked them all away.

Tiffany sighed loudly as she leaned into the backseat of the car, "Man, I do not miss this." She moaned as she turned her head to look at Kayla, "You doing alright?"

"I'm fine," Kayla answered shortly, not looking away from the window she stared out of.

"Well, now that the whole world is aware you are alive, we'd probably better start a press plan. Especially with people knowing you were married to Steve." Tiffany explained as she pulled a tablet out of her bag and began typing away, slipping back into her old persona as an assistant with ease.

"I did this. All of this. I'm right back where I started. Unhappy, pre-serum, and pining over Steve Rogers." Kayla uttered as she rested her jaw in her palm leaning against the window, puffing out her right cheek.

Tiffany looked from Kayla to Sandra, who just shook her head and shrugged as she looked back at the road. Tiffany looked back to Kayla, nudging her arm gently, "Hey, it's not all bad. You can be whoever you want now. Nobody expects anything from you. You can do good."

"Everyone expects me to pick up where I left off, but I'm not that girl anymore. I've become someone far worse." Kayla mumbled through her squished cheek.

Tiffany let out a low groan as she set down her blue tablet on her lap and turned to her friend, "Stop. Seriously. You recreated the fucking super-soldier serum that created Captain America, and you don't think you can use your talents for good? You aren't the President's Daughter anymore. You aren't twenty-four anymore. You can finally do what you've always wanted and maybe then Steve will see that you've changed. Steve always believed in you. And he loved you because you were confident and strong and if Sam hadn't given you the serum he would have loved you just the same. Be that girl again Kay. You are only worse because you've lost sight of who you wanted to be."

Kayla met Tiffany's eyes with a shocked expression, but her friend's words weren't lost on her. Before she could respond, Tiffany's cell phone began ringing in her bag and she turned her attention to the noise instead of Kayla. "Hello?... Yes, it was a shit show, we're aware... I know honey, you would have helped with the press but honestly, I think it would have only made everything worse... Why? Because where you go, you know who isn't far behind, and there's already enough rumors about the two of them... No, no we aren't releasing their marriage to the public, not now... I mean, yeah, people are going to realize she's pregnant, she can't really hide it... we'll just say she doesn't know. It wouldn't be the craziest rumor we've started." Kayla shot Tiffany a dirty look and Tiffany mouthed 'What?' at her friend as she listened to Sam on the other end. "Yeah, uh huh... okay baby. I'll see you soon. Love you."

As Tiffany hung up the phone, Kayla stared at her friend with a blank expression. Kayla wished Sam would talk about how Steve was doing, what he was thinking, what she could do to patch things up. Kayla didn't believe Tiffany knew anything, but Sam did. Tiffany assured Kayla that she was keeping Sam in the dark as well, but Kayla had a feeling Steve wasn't really asking about her.

"They saw the live steam?" Sandra asked nonchalantly from her seat across from Kayla.

"Yup. Said it looked like hell. He's not wrong, it was pretty awful, it's been a looong time since that many cameras were pointed at me." Tiffany joked, but Kayla didn't laugh, instead, she lowered her brows to give her friend an annoyed look, "He didn't mention Steve."

"Yeah, I'm sure Sam's the one who's worried about finding out my husband is Captain America." Kayla mocked, crossing her arms and leaning against the door to better face Tiffany.

"Yeah... about that..." Tiffany trailed off, and Kayla stared at her expectantly, wondering where the conversation was going. Sandra piqued her brow as she looked over to Tiffany curiously. "You- aren't married to Captain America anymore."

"Oh great, he divorced me without me knowing? How the hell did he do that?" Kayla yelped, throwing her arms in the air dramatically.

"No, you are still married to Steve, he's just not Cap anymore." Tiffany edged forward, trying to hide the grin in her cheeks.

This caught Kayla's interested and she narrowed her eyes at Tiff, "Go on."

"He gave his shield to Sam," Tiffany replied with a proud smile. "Now I'm dating Captain America." She beamed, tugging out a long necklace chain from her blouse to reveal a little Captain America shield pendant. "Sam got this for me to celebrate. I found out the night before last. I'm really excited for him, but terrified. Like, I was scared before, but now it's even worse. Is this how you've always felt?"

"Yes." Kayla deadpanned, but even she was smiling now, "I'm really happy for Sam. He deserves this."

"I know, I can't believe Steve thought to pass the shield on to Sam..." Tiffany pondered as Kayla snorted.

_It's because it was my idea._

"Alright ladies, now that the cat's out of the bag, I think we better talk about your plans for the future. As much as we love the company, we'd prefer you and your Avenger friends don't live with us forever." Mathew chuckled as he leaned toward the girls, placing his hands on his knees expectantly.

"Nat said she's looking into places in New York right now. I'm sure she wouldn't mind a couple of roommates." Kayla offered Tiffany, but Tiffany shrunk into her seat a bit at the suggestion.

"Buuuut, the boys are looking for an apartment in D.C." She admitted sheepishly, "I know how much you love NYC, but wouldn't you rather be closer to home? Maybe Nat can move in with us there?"

Kayla's brow popped up and she twisted her lips thoughtfully, "I think we have conflicting interests here, Tiff. You want to live closer to the man who broke my heart and destroyed my life. I want to stay as far away as possible."

"He has your son. Don't you want to be close?"

"Of course I want to be close to my son, that's why I'm going to get him back." Kayla shot back and Tiffany closed her mouth quickly. Kayla noticed her sudden silence and called her out on it, "What?"

"Steve's not going to be happy if you kidnap James."

"I wasn't planning on kidnapping him. I was planning on... coming up with an arrangement where he can live with me until Steve gets over himself." Kayla defended, crossing her right leg over her left thigh, "We won't be apart for forever. We'll be one big happy family again before you know it. Just you wait and see."

"Hmm, yeah, okay. Whatever you say. He's really mad at you. And now you're famous again and he doesn't really like that either." Tiffany added indifferently.

"Ah ha! I knew you knew more than you let on! What else has Steve been saying?" Kayla pointed a finger accusingly at her friend as she smiled, happy that Tiffany could give her the information she craved.

"All I know is he's frustrated with all the media coverage you're getting and all the rumors that you two are married. It goes against the normal life he was hoping to have." Tiffany answered defensively, leaning into the door to get farther away from her eccentric friend. "So, D.C.?"

"I don't like D.C. Traumatic memories there." Kayla moaned, then Tiffany watched her expression change to one of excitement as the lightbulb went off in her blonde head. "You could get them to move to New York."

"And why would I do that? I've never lived in the city. Only upstate." Tiffany asked, crossing her arms as she tilted her chin down, watching Kayla with curious dark eyes.

"Because Steve loves Brooklyn and once this is all sorted out we'll raise our family there as we planned. Plus, they have better food." Kayla justified flippantly with a wave of her hand. "C'mon Tiff. I don't want to move back to D.C. Let's go to the Big Apple. Tell them they can have Brooklyn and we'll take Manhattan."

"We aren't buying New York, Kay..." Tiffany trailed off as she saw Kayla's vision come together in her mind.

"No, but it could work. We'll be close, and I'll prove to Steve that I've changed and we can share James and eventually get back together and live happily ever after. It'll be wonderful." Kayla droned on and Tiffany knew she didn't stand a chance against her obnoxious friend.

"Fine. I'll call Sam when we get home. Make the suggestion. See if they agree to your terms." Tiffany agreed as Kayla's bright green eyes began imagining her life again, the way it could have been.


	9. Chapter 9

Bucky carried his single box of belongings into the Brooklyn apartment Steve had chosen for the men. Kayla's request to live near her son was fair, and Steve obliged, wanting to be close to his girl as much as she wanted to be close to him. But he couldn't face her, not yet. So Sam, Barnes, and Steve Rogers signed a lease on a furnished three-bedroom apartment in the nicer area of Brooklyn with Pepper Stark sending a check to pay for six months of rent plus the security deposit.

Bucky dropped his box on the twin-sized bed that sat in the room he claimed. It was the smallest room, with the smallest bed, with the worst view of an alleyway. But it was Brooklyn. It was home. He unpacked the four shirts that he rotated through in his wardrobe, and an old photo taken from a newsreel of him and Steve back in the war. He placed the framed, fuzzy quality photo on the desk and sat on the edge of the bed, allowing himself to relax.

Until the crying started.

And the crying set off the barking and the peace and quiet were dead.

"Damnit Rogers, calm your son!" Sam Wilson yelled from his room across the hall from Barnes. Steve had claimed the master bedroom on the opposite side of the apartment to share with his son, but even the distance didn't quiet the sound of James' screams.

Steve bounced up and down in his mostly empty bedroom, trying to pacify his crying boy, but he'd been without his mother for three weeks, and it was beginning to show. "I'm trying! He's- he's freaking out!" Steve replied as he continued to panic. He'd made a terrible mistake. James needed Kayla. He needed Kayla _now_. Buddy barked up at James, trying to calm the baby, but only making things worse with the loud noise.

Bucky calmly entered through the open doorway and collected James from Steve's arms. He settled the boy against his vibranium arm, and James snuggled against the cool metal and stopped crying immediately. Bucky gave Steve a small smile as he walked around the room with the boy, and Sam looked shellshocked from the doorway. "Cap, that's just embarrassing. He's an assassin."

"I need to take him to Kayla," Steve grumbled, collapsing into the desk chair by the window. "I just don't want to see her yet. I don't know what to say. I need more time."

"Tiffany's coming over after they get the hot tub delivered, she could always take him back with her if you pack him a baby bag. I'm not gonna lie, I'm sick and tired of our garbage can smelling like diapers." Sam shot Steve a bitter look as his brows rose higher on his head. "As fun as it is being all 'Three Men and a Baby', I think you need some time for self-reflection or whatever shit you feel you need to do."

"Sam, watch your language in front of Little Bucky." Barnes hissed as he bopped back and forth across the bedroom with the baby snuggled in his arm.

Sam's eyes got even wider as he pointed to Barnes, "Did you just refer to him as 'Little Bucky'?"

"I mean I am his namesake aren't I?" Bucky winked at Sam, knowing it would only make him angrier. Sam crossed his arms and scowled at Barnes as the Winter Soldier coddled the child in front of him.

"Did you say they're getting a hot tub?" Steve asked incredulously as he narrowed his eyes at Sam as Buddy panted happily next to the soldier.

* * *

"To the Bachelorette Pad!" Tiffany and Natasha cheered in unison as they clinked their champagne glasses as Kayla sipped orange juice beside them. Kayla shook her head at her friends, a knowing smile on her face as she took another drink. They might have splurged a little bit on their new home, using Mathew Ellis's credit card for the security deposit and a year's worth of rent. The high rise Manhattan apartment had a view of the harbor, and Brooklyn beyond. They even allowed her to bring Zawadi, who was easily eighty pounds over the limit for pets. Maximum security would ensure Kayla Ellis's safety and the complex happily gave the notorious socialite and her friends one of the penthouse suites. In return, Kayla said she wouldn't bat an eye if the press caught photos of her entering the complex. As long as they couldn't get in, Kayla didn't care much who knew she lived there.

"I'm so bummed you can't break in the new hot tub with us." Tiffany pouted as Natasha poured her another glass of champagne.

"Yup. It sucks that I'm pregnant." Kayla deadpanned, rolling her eyes at her best friend.

Natasha smiled knowingly as she pulled her messy fishtail braid over her shoulder, feeling welcome and home for the first time in years. A real home. Not a compound. Not a place purchased and controlled for her. An actual home that she could make her own. Friends who she could come home to at night. A world she could find a place in and start anew.

Tiffany blushed a little at her friend's sarcasm, "Sorry. But Nat and I are going to christen it tonight. I'm heading over to Sam's place to check on them then I'll be back in a few hours."

"Can you ask Steve about James? I've got the nursery all set up, we just need to come up with some sort of arrangement. I don't want to say custody arrangement, it seems so definitive." Kayla mumbled before tipping her head back and downing the last of her orange juice in a crystal flute. "Please?"

"I'll talk to him. Don't worry Kay. In fact, I'll head over right now. Call me an uber? You can afford it right?" Tiffany winked as she grabbed her rainbow clutch from the table and stumbled to the door.

"She's really drunk." Natasha chuckled in surprise, placing her elbows on the marble island and leaned over to watch Tiffany close the door behind her.

"Yup." Came Kayla's perky reply, "But she's got to drink for the both of us, so it's not surprising."

"I've never had a jacuzzi in my bathroom before." Natasha said thoughtfully as she looked toward her bedroom, "Mind if I give it a try?"

"If anyone on this Earth deserves time to relax it's you, Nat." Kayla assured her friend as the redhead cheerfully rounded the corner into her very own bedroom that she decorated herself.

Once alone, Kayla sat in the loveseat next to the window and pulled out her cell phone, calling a car for Tiffany to head to Brooklyn. Zawadi rested his chin on her thigh, looking up at her with big sad eyes. A low whine emitted from his throat as he looked up at Kayla. "I know." She told the dog dejectedly, "I miss him too." The dog stuck out his tongue a little, wetting her jeans ever so slightly with his slobber. She scoffed and shook her head, but didn't discipline the dog. She just enjoyed his company.

Three hours later, a very sober Tiffany Jones came clamoring through the front door of her apartment. "Kayla! Help please!" Kayla jumped to her feet, feeling dizzy from the sudden movement. Once she regained her composure she met Tiffany at the door as she pushed it open with her back, holding a car seat with James secured into it.

"Baby!" Kayla cried happily and took the car seat from Tiffany, straining under its weight. "I didn't think he'd send James with you tonight! I'm so happy to see you, baby." Kayla cooed as she sat the carrier on the kitchen table and began unstrapping her son until she was finally able to hold him in her arms. "My gosh, you are heavier than I remember." She grunted, burying her face into the baby's neck as he breathed against her shoulder. She felt a wave of relief wash over her having her child in her arms. She felt whole again, even if a big piece of her was still missing.

"He's a chubby little thing." Tiffany panted as she rested her palms on her knees and leaned over to catch her breath. "He was good in the car ride though. The boys were more than happy to give him up for a while. He was already dressed and packed when I got there."

"I'm never letting you go again, James." Kayla promised in a whisper, leaning her head against her son's soft face as her hair draped around him. She didn't say aloud that she'd been scared of seeing her son again. She wasn't the woman he knew as his mother. She was smaller, frailer. She was terrified that he'd think her a stranger and reject her. But the baby knew who his mother was, super strength be damned, he knew he belonged in her arms and slept soundly the moment he hit her chest. She breathed in the scent of clean baby, letting all her troubles fly away for a brief moment. But like all moments, it ended, and she looked at Tiffany with sad eyes, "When does he want James back?"

"He didn't say. Said whenever you need a break." Tiffany relayed as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket. "Where's Natasha? It's hot tub time."

"You two have fun, I think I'm gonna spend some time alone with James." Kayla hummed, swaying slightly from side to side as she closed her eyes peacefully.

"I figured as much. Sleep well, Kayla. Love you."

"I love you guys too," Kayla responded as she practically floated into her bedroom, closing the door with her bare foot once inside. She gently laid James down on the down comforter of her king-sized bed, then crawled in beside him so he was in the center of the bed. He had his own room already set up for him, but Kayla had no intention of letting him sleep away from her tonight. She'd grown tired of sleeping alone for the past three weeks.

Kayla crawled onto the comforter and laid on her side, curling her legs at her hips to provide a small wall for James to rest against as he looked up at Kayla with happy green eyes. Her hair fell over her face and he grabbed it, yanking on it like he always did. The pain radiated through her scalp. Without the serum, her pain tolerance was very low, but if this was the price to pay for being James's mom, she'd happily pay it. She reached behind her and pulled her laptop out of its black and pink case, setting it up on the other side of James so she could keep an eye him while she scrolled through the news reports.

The reflection of the screen glowed in Kayla's eyes as she searched for herself, finding dozens of news reports of her departure from the hospital and her moving into the apartment complex with her assistant. Natasha had chosen to stay anonymous, because she was a spy through and through, even if she claimed she was retired. For now. Kayla twisted her mouth as she clicked on an article she was tagged in.

When the article opened, the news story began playing and Kayla used her right hand to caress James's face as the reporter spoke. "Earlier this week it was discovered that Kayla Ellis, the daughter of President Ellis who has been long thought to be dead, is in fact alive. She was seen checking out of a hospital in southern New Jersey, accompanied by her mother, father, and secret service. No member of the Ellis family has issued a statement, however, Kayla Ellis is known for loose lips and scandal, so it's only a matter of time before more information about her resurgence comes out."

Kayla clicked the back button, instead choosing to live stream the local news stations in New York. What she found wasn't much better. "This just in, recent drone footage has revealed that the Avengers Compound in upstate New York is destroyed! This comes only a few weeks after the return of the Vanished. Since the return of the other half of the world's population, the private team known as the Avengers haven't been seen or heard from. Tony Stark was reported by Stark Industries CEO to have passed away, and the complete destruction of their base seems to lend to the theory that the Avengers were responsible for bringing back those who were lost. With Tony Stark, the most public member of the Avengers, gone, many of the identities of the others are being kept under lock and key. However, this is interesting timing for the reemergence of First Daughter Kayla Ellis, who was thought to be dating Captain America at the time of her death in 2014. While her parents and Doctor Bruce Banner, better known as the Hulk, were seen at the hospital, Captain Rogers was nowhere to be found. Some reports say that Kayla was seen out and about with the superhero before the Vanished returned, but he hasn't been seen since. Could this mean the death of not only Iron Man, but Captain America?"

Kayla closed the laptop quickly with a huff, causing James to begin to whimper. She leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her son's forehead before laying down next to him and putting her arm around him to protect him. She pulled him close to her chest, her other hand resting lazily on her stomach.

Across the river, Steve Rogers stood behind Bucky and Sam on the couch and watched the same news report on their television. The blonde soldier sighed deeply at the conclusion of the segment, feeling conflicted about being suspected as dead. He leaned on the back of the couch as Bucky took a large handful of Sam's popcorn and popped it in his mouth, even though he had a bowl of his own.

"Why? Why are you like this?" Sam asked seriously with a shake of his head as Bucky chewed the popcorn. He didn't respond, he only continued watching the television as the news segment transitioned into something else. Sam looked over his shoulder at Steve and saw the thoughtful look in his eyes, "What do you want to do about this, Cap?"

"I'm not the Captain anymore," Steve told Sam, placing a strong hand on his shoulder. "You are. And I think it's time the world knows it."

"I'll shoot somebody and you can come to stop me." Bucky deadpanned and both men turned to him with disbelief. When he realized their reaction he just pushed his hair back with his metal arm, "I'm kidding. I'll only pretend to shoot someone."

"Buck, it's taken so much to keep you out of prison. Can you please help me out?" Steve groaned and Bucky laughed loudly at that.

"I'm not the one who lied to join the army, who disobeyed orders to save my best friend, who ignored all chances of saving myself, should I go on? I've only made it to 1945." Bucky listed as he looked up at Steve with a knowing smirk. "I'm not the troublemaker here. I was just... unlucky."

"I know Buck. I know." Steve gripped his friend's shoulder and Bucky grabbed his wrist and squeezed it comfortingly.

Sam stretched his arms into the air, groaning as he arched his back, "It's late boys. Let get some sleep."

Steve nodded as they all went their separate ways, but he knew he wouldn't sleep. He locked himself in the large bedroom alone, leaning his head against the door. His blonde hair fell over his face into his eyes, but he didn't push it away. He didn't care. He didn't feel very put together. He unbuttoned his green shirt and discarded it in the hamper, missing the smell of Kayla's perfume that always lingered on her dirty clothes. He stripped down to his undershirt and boxers and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Steve stared at his reflection in the mirror as he worked hard on cleaning his perfect teeth. He hadn't shaved and had developed quite a bit of stubble since he last saw Kayla. His hair was greasy since he hadn't showered since the day before yesterday. Steve Rogers felt at a loss. He didn't regret passing the mantle of Captain America to Sam, but, in the quiet of his own room alone, he realized he didn't know who he was without the shield. After spitting out the toothpaste, Steve wiped down his face and turned to the small closet next to his bed. He swung open the two wooden doors and leaned over, pulling out the shattered shield that he'd saved after the battle at the compound.

The Captain America shield, bold and bright and shiny, had represented Steve Rogers for eight decades. Now, this dirty, shattered version of the symbol was more fitting.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Siobhan- **Steve has to figure some stuff out. He's finally reached his breaking point and it's about damn time. I'm so glad you're still enjoying it! I always love reading your reviews! _


	10. Chapter 10

Kayla did a great job of ignoring the cell phone photos taken of her as she was led into the pediatric hospital by Tiffany and Natasha. Rumors still swirled about how she had survived all this time unnoticed, but seeing as she released no comment and didn't cause any immediate scandals, the rumors fizzled out.

The reporters began reporting that the infamous Kayla Ellis had a change of heart. She wasn't seen at parties or premiers and she most definitely wasn't seen out and about with various men. She also wasn't doing her usual outreach programs or working at the charities she once ran. Kayla Ellis had become positively boring. It was a situation that baffled the world of social media to no end because she did nothing interesting.

Something had happened to break her down.

Kayla was aware of all of this as she let Natasha drive her and Tiff to the hospital for her checkup. She'd been dreading this moment, avoiding it really, but she knew that her baby was still growing, and she had to be prepared for what was to come. Once through the automatic doors, Kayla pushed her large sunglasses up over her thick hair that was pulled into a loose bun. She wore purple tennis shoes with baggy running shorts and a purple tank top, loose enough to give her growing belly some breathing room and to hide her size from prying eyes.

"Miss Ellis!" The receptionist scrambled as she stood, her arms shaking nervously, "We've been expecting you."

Kayla frowned and looked down at her white silicone watch, "My appointment isn't for another thirty minutes."

"We were still expecting you. Everyone is curious about... you know... the baby." The woman stammered as she handed Kayla a brown clipboard with paperwork to fill out. Kayla handed over her insurance card, and the receptionist looked at it for a moment before speaking up nervously, "This, uh, expired seven years ago."

Kayla pressed her cherry lips together in a firm line, nodding understandingly, "Yup. That tracks. I'll pay cash then."

"No, no I'll make some calls, see what we can do. Everything is all wacky after the return of the Vanished. I myself vanished, but I'm back now. Really thankful they let me have my job back, even if all my coworkers have moved on or- died." The woman finished, realizing that Kayla Ellis didn't want to hear about her personal troubles.

But she was wrong. Kayla's fingers stopped moving against the paper as she thought for a moment, staring down at the lines blankly. "Isn't there somebody in charge of that? Recovery I mean? From the snap?"

"Not that I know of. President Anderson is scrambling to rebuild the government, but it's an election year and he's not running for reelection." The woman shrugged a little, then went back to her typing at her computer, "I'm sure they are working on something. It's only been a couple of months."

"A couple of months with no one in charge of putting the world back how it was supposed to be." Kayla reiterated and Tiffany's brow shot up in question at her friend's train of thought.

Natasha leaned against the counter expectantly, waiting for Kayla to come up with some brilliant scheme. That was the Kayla Rogers way- find a problem, jump right in with the first solution that came to mind. But no more words came from the blonde. She finished filling out her paperwork and handed it back with a smile.

"Wait here, I'll have someone escort you up to the room." The receptionist explained as she paged a nurse to be their personal guide to the examination room.

Natasha grabbed Kayla's hand and gave it a supportive squeeze, "Whatever happens, I'm proud of you. You've been very brave in a very hard time."

"I regret nothing Nat. Nothing at all." She told the redhead with a bittersweet smile. Kayla took a deep breath through her mouth as the nurse arrived to take the three women to Kayla's appointment. It had been four months since she left that New Jersey hospital. She'd insisted on Bruce checking in on her, and Bruce alone, but finally Doctor Banner informed Kayla she needed to see someone with more advanced equipment than him. He'd done everything he could and had seen little change except for normal growth. She'd have to see someone else if she wanted any more answers than that.

"Miss Ellis, its a pleasure to meet you, I'm Doctor Hervins." The doctor waltzed in gracefully, unaffected by the high profile patient before her.

"Nice to meet you too." Kayla responded lightly, taking a seat on the examination table.

"I'll give you a moment to prepare, then we'll do an ultrasound and run some tests. Doctor Banner sent me your charts. You... haven't seen an actual doctor since you were in the hospital?" Doctor Hervins asked with a hint of judgment in her deep voice.

Kayla snorted, throwing her neck back in offense, "Doctor Bruce Banner is a real doctor-"

"He's a friend. Kayla has been in contact with the Avengers since 2013 when they saved her from a kidnapping. Although he doesn't currently practice medicine, Doctor Banner has experience and training in the medical field." Tiffany explained in her 'assistant to Kayla Ellis' way. The doctor nodded, flipping through the printed information Banner had sent to the hospital.

"I'll be back in about five minutes." Doctor Hervins said quietly as she left the room, closing the door behind her.

"I want to run away." Kayla jumped to her feet, but Natasha pushed her back down with a forceful hand. "Okay, okay. Fine, Widow."

Suddenly, there were hush voices outside the door, and Kayla snuck to the door with her index finger to her lips to listen, thinking it might be about her.

"Mrs. Byrne, I'm sorry... there's nothing we can do."

"Please Doctor, he's dying. He's my son."

Kayla leaned against the door, pushing her hand to it sadly. This was so much worse than if it had been about her.

"Doctor Hervins has done everything she can. His organs are failing. I'm sorry, this is beyond even the most modern medicine..." The nurse tried to explain to the weeping mother.

"Our world is filled with aliens and gods and you're telling me I waited five years to get my son back only for him to die now?" The mother screeched and suddenly her voice was getting farther away, either from being led away or from storming away, Kayla couldn't be sure. But something told her to open the door.

As the door flew open, the nurse fell back a step at the blonde's presence. "What's he dying from?" Kayla asked quickly, not bothering to hide her eavesdropping. Tiffany and Natasha scrambled to flank Kayla, but the damage was done as the honey blonde nurse looked at Kayla with wide brown eyes.

"He's suffering from heart failure. It took two and a half months to get him in. We were pummeled after everyone reappeared. We were too late."

"Who decides who gets in and who has to wait?" Kayla asked, tapping her fingers against the doorframe. "I called yesterday."

"It's based on insurance. It has to be." The nurse stammered and Kayla tightened her jaw.

"But I don't have any."

"You're the former President's Daughter. You get special treatment-" The nurse stammered, but Kayla was turning redder than Natasha's hair.

"That's not right. That's not right at all, we have to fix this... We have to fix this. I can help the boy." Kayla notified the nurse, and Tiffany began to shake her head violently as Natasha grabbed at Kayla's mouth.

"No. Are you insane? You can't just give that shit to people. If you were that confident with it, why don't you use it on yourself?" Natasha hissed into Kayla's ear as the nurse looked between the women, backing away slowly.

Kayla pushed Natasha's arm down roughly and turned to her friend, grabbing at her upper arms as she began to explain her plea, "Let me do this. I can save him. And if I can't, he's no worse off than he is now. It works, you know it works, and I'm not hiding anymore. I've created a watered-down version that could be enough to help his heart..." Kayla turned from Natasha to the nurse. "Get me the boy's information. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"Oh, okay." The blonde nurse stammered, going off to get the family's information and leaving Kayla to close the door and plop back on the examination table for her ultra-sound.

* * *

Kayla stared up as the doctor moved the ultra-sound around her swollen stomach. She worked hard to keep her breathing even, even if her heart was pounding in her chest. The doctor looked at the ultrasound, then back to Kayla before speaking, "You're about six months along, correct?"

"Yeah, something like that," Kayla mumbled, not meeting the doctor's eye.

Doctor Hervins chuckled, "You're so nervous. The baby's doing well. It's very small. I see what Doctor Banner meant about the brain activity, but I wouldn't give up hope quite yet... do you want to know what it is?"

The corners of Kayla's lips pulled up into a sad smile, already knowing her child was girl, but hating how everybody referred to her as 'it'. "Yeah."

"A girl." The doctor responded, and Kayla finally turned and looked at the ultrasound. "Obviously you still have a long way to go and I expect to see you more often. But she's a girl."

Kayla felt the tears in her eyes as she forced them back, nodding while the doctor turned the equipment away, "Alright."

"See you in three weeks, Miss Ellis." Doctor Hervins said sharply as she left the hospital room.

"What do you need?" Natasha murmured once the older doctor was out of the room. Kayla looked at her questioningly, her brows squished together. Natasha cleared her throat, repeating herself, "What do you need? For the serum? I'll call in a few favors. You said you'd help that boy."

Kayla nodded, pulling down her purple tank top over her stomach, "I'll make you a list."

"You sure about this?" Tiffany warned, pushing her hand through her brunette hair anxiously.

Kayla met her friend's eyes, "Yes. I'm sure."

* * *

"Alright Warner, Mrs. Byrne, the doctor should be here momentarily." The honey blonde nurse explained as the young boy with inky black hair stared up at her. He was scared. He was weak, his heart was giving out. His mother tapped her fingers together anxiously, waiting impatiently for this new doctor who thought they could help her son.

As the nurse waited with the mother and son, Kayla Ellis strode into the room in a white lab coat with Natasha Romanoff right behind her, wearing jeans and a long-sleeved back turtleneck. The assassin crossed her arms and leaned against the door, watching Kayla closely as she approached the family. Warner's mother gawked at the confident blonde. "Kayla Ellis!"

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Byrne. Warner, is it?" Kayla turned to the boy, who looked to his mother questioningly, not recognizing the woman. Kayla opened up a black case that she had brought with her, looking through its contents carefully, "Your nurse tells me that you are experiencing heart failure and that you are too far down on the transplant list. It's not looking good for getting you a new heart, kid." Kayla rambled as she popped a metal vial out of its casing. She untwisted the cap and slid out a glass container with sky blue liquid in it. She looked up at the young boy as she grabbed a syringe. "So if we can't get you a new heart, we'll make this one stronger."

"Are you a doctor, Miss Ellis?" Mrs. Byrne asked apprehensively, keeping a strong grip on her son's frail arm.

"No." Kayla quipped easily, drawing the liquid into the syringe before turning to the woman and her dying son, "But I'm a scientist. And I'm a mother. I lost my son in the snap too. I understand what you must have gone through."

Mrs. Byrne continued to stare at Kayla with narrowed eyes as Warner looked up at his mom for direction. "What are you giving him then?"

"I told you, I'm going to make his heart stronger. Experimental, but, I've had good results in the past." Kayla assured the woman as she approached her son. "Tell me, Warner, do you like superheroes?"

"I do." He replied in a hushed voice, unsure if his mother wanted him to answer.

Kayla smiled knowingly, kneeling down beside the boy, "Do you have a favorite?"

"Iron Man."

"He was pretty great wasn't he? He was very brave, I met him a couple of times. He took a lot of risks, and he never knew if it was going to work out or not. What do you say? Are you willing to try and be brave like Iron Man today? See if this saves you?" Kayla questioned, giving the boy's arm a gentle squeeze with her left hand as she smiled into his eyes reassuringly.

The boy looked from Kayla to his mom, then side-eyed Natasha nervously before looking back to his mom. Mrs. Byrne stared at her son for a moment, missing the way his eyes used to get excited when he saw reports of Iron Man on the television or when he played Avengers with his friends. The light was fading. This was their last chance, the nurse had made this abundantly clear.

"What do you say, honey?" Mrs. Byrne asked, leaving the choice up to her son.

Warner turned to Kayla Ellis and nodded, "I'll be brave."

"Good. Now, this might sting a little, needles are the worst." Kayla explained comfortingly as she stood, "Once the serum is inside you, it's probably going to hurt a little more, but it'll be okay. You can squeeze my hand as much as you want, I promise." Kayla told the boy as she grabbed the needle and moved to the left side of the boy, "Now look at your mom okay, do you want me to count down or surprise you?"

"Umm, surprise- ouch!" Warner winced as Kayla injected the serum into his left arm, holding his hand tightly as she kept him distracted.

"So, Iron Man huh? You like the suits?"

"Yeah." He cried, trying to look at his mom as she held his other hand tightly, tears streaming down her own face.

Kayla nodded thoughtfully, carefully pulling the needle from the boy's arm, "The suits are cool, but Tony Stark... he was something else. And his best friend is Bruce Banner. Do you know who Bruce Banner is?"

"He's the Hulk." Warner winced as he felt the serum spread through his bloodstream. He gripped Kayla's hand tighter and she smiled, seeing it working.

"Yeah, but he's so smart. He's Professor Hulk now. Maybe sometime, if you'd like, you could meet him? Him and I, we work together. He helped me develop this medicine for you." Kayla explained with happy tears in her eyes. She looked up at the nurse, "Give it about ten minutes, then we'll run some tests, see if it worked?"

The young nurse nodded, leaving the room as Natasha opened the door for her. The assassin kept eyes focused on Kayla as she knelt down beside the boy, letting him grip her hand so tightly it was beginning to turn red. Steve would be so proud of his brave wife. He'd be even more proud that Kayla used what she knew about his serum to save others.

"It hurts really bad." Warner mumbled as he panted, closing his eyes tightly, and Mrs. Byrne stared at Kayla with furious eyes.

"What's happening to him? What have you done to my son?"

"Don't worry, it's going to be okay. It's gonna be okay Warner, I promise." Kayla assured the child as his breathing steadied. It steadied so much Mrs. Byrne began to suspect he was dying. She began to cry harder against his head, willing her boy to pull through.

After a moment, Warner opened his eyes and looked around, breathing easily. Mrs. Byrne pulled away to look at her boy, seeing the color return to his face. He loosened his grip on Kayla's hand and looked at his mom excitedly. The six-year-old boy's eyes sparkled happily. He could feel it. He was better. Mrs. Byrne looked to Kayla as the blonde rose, relief clear as day on her pretty face. Mrs. Byrne stood and crossed to Kayla as Natasha let Doctor Hevrin and the nurse into the room. The doctor looked at the heart monitors hooked up to the boy and turned to Kayla in amazement. "How'd you do this?"

"It runs in the family." Kayla winked as she closed up her case and walked toward the door. Before she followed Natasha though, she turned around and looked at Warner, "Make the most of your second chance, okay?" Then she turned and walked out, grinning from ear to ear.


	11. Chapter 11

When the doorbell to their apartment rang, Natasha jumped up from her two hundred sit-ups to answer it. She jogged to the door and looked through the peephole before standing face to face with the mailman. He stuttered when he saw the redhead, her hair pulled tight into a ponytail on top of her head and sweat sticking to her collarbones. She wore a tight, low cut sports bra and yoga pants, and he let his eyes drop for just a second before forcing himself back to her face. "He-Here." He handed the woman an envelope and turned quickly as she stood in the doorway silently.

Natasha eyed the envelope warily, carefully slipping her finger under the flap to pull it apart. She shuffled the cardstock out of its casing, holding the envelope between her fingers in her other hand as her green eyes scanned the invitation. "Kayla! Mail for you!" She called after carefully reading the contents. She sat the invitation on top of the kitchen table, then sat back down to continue her work out.

Kayla walked into the living room in her white bathrobe with her hair wrapped up in a towel on top of her head. She walked around Natasha to the table and picked it up, flipping it over before reading, "I see you've opened my mail. It's very clearly addressed to me."

"Can't be too careful," Nat answered as she grunted, putting her hands behind her head and pushing herself back to her feet. "You gonna go?"

"Probably not. I'm no socialite. Not anymore." Kayla sat the invitation on the table, pulling out a juice box out of the fridge and stabbing it with the tiny straw. Natasha raised her brow at the blonde and Kayla just shrugged, "Pregnancy cravings. Plus juice boxes are great."

"If you do go, you'll need a custom dress, you're showing quite a bit. It's obvious there's a little bun in there." Natasha jested as she grabbed a juice box for herself. She looked at Kayla as the girl stared out the picture window to the Brooklyn Bridge. Natasha didn't need to be a super spy to know what her friend was thinking- it was written on her face. "You miss him."

"More than anything. I gave up all this for him. I faked my own death for him, I put myself in danger for him day in and day out and the one time I do it for somebody else, he leaves." Kayla clenched her teeth, taking a deep breath, "What's it going to take for him to forgive me?"

"Show him that you don't need him," Natasha answered easily, and Kayla turned to her friend. Kayla didn't understand where Nat was going with this plan, "You are Kayla Ellis, you recreated the super-soldier serum that created Captain America. You are brilliant and powerful and now you have the platform to make change. I sacrificed myself to bring everyone back, and now that they are the world is crumbling just as much as it was after the snap. The Avengers have fallen and are rebuilding. You're already here."

Kayla twisted her lips, looking back to the invitation on the table, "It's a huge gala to kick off the international summit we're hosting here in New York. Government officials from around the world flying in to discuss problems all while trying to prove everything is okay by throwing a party. Meanwhile, people are fighting over homes, food supplies are too small, some kids haven't been in school for half a decade. It's hypocritical."

Natasha grabbed onto her foot and pulled it back behind her, stretching her legs in a ballerina pose, "Sounds like somebody needs to go into the family business."

Kayla stared at Natasha, then laughed, "Me? Politics? Oh no. No no no. That's ridiculous. I'm better suited to being a spy than a Senator. That's... ridiculous." Kayla crossed her arms and chuckled again, shaking her head.

Natasha shrugged and threw away her juice box before switching her stretches to the opposite leg, "I'm just saying, you have a good perspective. You understand things beyond the average person. You know why the Decimation happened and you lived through its reversal. Perhaps you can help people as you did with Warner. There's a lot more where he came from."

Kayla stormed over to the table and grabbed the invitation, taking it into her room. She sat on the bed and chewed the side of her finger as she read it over again. Kayla didn't necessarily want to attend the gala, especially alone. Her parents would be there, and Tiffany would accompany her, but she missed Steve. The thought of facing the world, pregnant and alone, was terrifying.

But she could make a difference.

"Ugghh," Kayla groaned as she pulled her phone out of the pocket of her elastic jeans. "Hey, Tiff. I'm sure you already heard about the Summit Gala."

"Yes I have, I was actually texted by Anderson's son's assistant about it, I assumed you wouldn't want to go. Am I wrong?" Tiffany taunted as she snuggled into Sam's chest in his bed, running her fingers along his bare chest.

"Hi, Kay!" Sam called through the phone as he went back to kissing Tiffany's neck.

Kayla nodded, able to imagine what was happening on the other end of the phone. "Hi, Sam! How's it going?" She pretended to be cordial, but there was annoyance in her voice.

"It's going good. Bucky's good. James is good. Steve dropped him this morning... just kidding that didn't happen, but we're good." Sam joked, but Kayla didn't respond to his attempt at getting a rise out of her.

"So, the gala," Kayla said, getting Tiffany back on the phone. "I'm gonna need a dress. Make a few calls, see if anyone's interested. I'm a risk, but you never know. Let them know I'm six months pregnant. People love baby bumps."

"You got it, boss. I'll do it first thing tomorrow. Love you byeeee" Tiffany hung up the phone. Kayla flipped through her photos on her cell phone, looking at the past five years. She'd spent five years moping and crying and wishing and working, but that didn't mean there weren't any good times. She smiled at a photo of her holding a huge bouquet of roses that Steve surprised her with one day after one of his therapy sessions. She flipped again to a selfie she'd taken of the two of them, him beaming and her pressing her lips to his cheek lovingly, a small smile on her face. Even if half the universe was dead, even if they'd lost their friends and their family, they had each other. And Kayla threw all of it away to hold an Infinity Stone in her hand.

Steve pretended he couldn't hear Sam and Tiffany through the wall, but they were paper thin. He nursed his beer as he leaned against the counter, watching James as he laid on a blanket on his tummy, lifting his head and flailing his arms and legs. Normally Steve would find this adorable, but his mind was somewhere else, far away from his child and the banging on the wall behind him.

Bucky Barnes smacked his vibranium fist once against Sam's door before shouting, "Keep it down in there, Little Bucky is trying to crawl!"

"Fuck you, Barnes!" Came in unison from behind the door, and Bucky smiled smugly as he walked out into the kitchen to join Steve. Steve handed his friend a beer and Bucky smiled down at James.

"You know, he's not quite to crawling yet. He's just getting the hang of holding his head up." Steve gestured with his bottle to the infant who cooed and babbled on the thick blue Avengers blanket. He let out a squeal when his Uncle Bucky came into view, and Barnes quickly situated himself on the floor with the baby, laying on his stomach to get closer. James reached out and grabbed at Bucky's long hair, giving it a good tug before Barnes tickled the child, causing him to erupt into giggles.

"You ready to talk to your girl yet?" Bucky asked as he made faces to get James to laugh.

Steve grunted, taking another long swig of his beer before tossing the empty bottle away. His beard had grown out a little more, but he trimmed it, trying to look a little presentable. His hair was long but brushed back, a nice change from how unruly it had been for the past several months. Steve was trying to find himself in this new life, but without the shield and the uniform, he was lost. "I don't know what to say."

"Say you miss her. That you still love her, and that you forgive her." Bucky provided, letting his piercing eyes break away from the baby to look at the father. "Tell her you've had enough time, and you're ready to move on."

"And how do I know she'll take me back after abandoning her?"

"You don't Steve, but you have so many regrets. Are you willing to let your anger create another one?" Bucky warned, pressing his lips to the side of James's head where whispy blonde hairs had begun to grow.

Steve lowered his head shamefully, running his hand over his face in frustration. He should have never left his wife, he should have never split up his family, no matter how angry he was. He should have walked out of that hospital and walked back in the next day. Kayla rose from the ashes of his betrayal, and he descended into darkness. He needed Kayla to be his light.

"I have to win her back," Steve told Bucky, looking up to see Barnes was now laying on his back, staring at the ceiling as James did the same. Steve chuckled at the sight and pulled out another beer from the fridge, popping the top and taking another long swig.

_I have to win her back._

* * *

"Thank you so much, Jennifer, it's been a long time," Kayla hugged the tall, dark-skinned designer with five-inch heels and hair to her waist.

"The pleasure is all mine Kayla. It's been too long. And, now you offer me a new challenge! How am I going to deal with that bump of yours?" Jennifer gestured to Kayla's plump belly, which was shown off by her tight t-shirt over her sweats. Jennifer Richardson looked up at Kayla coyly, "You gonna tell me who the father is? Or make me guess? You've been so quiet since you reemerged."

"Let's just say that the father was a good man. And I miss him a lot." Kayla said truthfully, sparking all sorts of theories in the designer's mind. She gestured for Kayla to stand on the small platform she'd brought along to the women's apartment. As Kayla took the step up, she turned and looked at Jennifer, her long hair dropping in loose waves down her back as she gave the woman a bittersweet smile, "Just like old times."

Jennifer pulled out her tape measure and wrapped it around her stomach, "That was a lifetime ago Kayla. I spent half of that time nonexistent. And I can see in your eyes that something has happened to you in that time too."

Kayla sighed as Jennifer continued taking her measurements, not ready to admit the woman was right. She didn't know how to explain where she'd been. The truth? The truth was simple: she'd run off with the man of her dreams, and followed him everywhere he went for nine years. She could tell the world that- that she faked her own death to be with Captain America. But the threat still remained, somewhere out there in the universe Johann Schmidt wanted revenge on the man she loved. If the world knew her story, it would be all too easy for the Red Skull to succeed in killing them all.

"So what colors are you thinking? You were always dashing in red. And blue, you always wanted blue." Jennifer gushed, remembering all the times she'd worked with Kayla Ellis, the President's Daughter. Kayla's mind always flashed back to that blue dress, the one she wore when she met Steve... or the white one she wore when she married him.

"Gold. That girl you knew is dead." Kayla stepped down, leaning closer to Jennifer with sparkling green eyes, "I am Kayla Ellis reborn."

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Siobhan- **The men and the baby is kind of the funniest. Bucky has such an adorable relationship with James. Steve's being a pill though, his determination is getting in the way of his happiness. It was necessary though, for both of them. I think it's just so hard for Kayla to figure out who she is without Steve. He's her everything. Also bracing yourself is probably a good idea, because it gets way worse before it gets better... As always thanks for leaving a review! _


	12. Chapter 12

Zawadi barked loudly as James cried, trying to yank on the dog's ears from the spot he laid on his back. Zawadi was incredibly patient with the baby human, but James didn't realize how strong he really was when tugging on the dog's ears and tail.

Kayla stormed out of her bathroom to check on the weeping child and dog who howled in defense, "Zaddi, stop. He's a baby. He doesn't know any better." She groaned, rubbing behind Zawadi's ears before attempting to bend over and pick up James. When she bent over, her head began to spin, and she stood up quickly, thrusting her arm out to catch herself against the wall, "I don't know kiddo, you might not be able to lay on the floor anymore. Mommy's too big to bend over." Kayla grunted and knelt down, picking up James and cradling him against her chest. She wore her bra and underwear as she did up her makeup, choosing to style her own look instead of hiring somebody to come over.

Kayla looked in the full-length mirror, startled in a way at how she looked pregnant with a four-month-old on her arm. Alone. She could almost see Steve sidling up beside her and wrapping his strong arms around them, holding them close. She didn't even realize she'd closed her eyes to see her daydream until she began feeling wobbly again. She kissed James on the head and laid him down in his crib to rest. Zawadi, a glutton for punishment, jumped up and lowered his head into the crib to sniff the child. Kayla smirked when she heard the dog whimper, getting his ears yanked by the strong boy.

The blonde sat down at her vanity and continued working on her golden-hued smokey eye, blending it out before drawing a subtle cat-eye in shimmering black. She worked her mascara through her lashes, realizing it had been so long since she'd put this much effort into her appearance. Kayla frowned as she studied the roundness of her face, a development caused by pregnancy and lack of super-soldier serum. She was thankful her face was clear of blemishes because she was self-conscious about her size as it was. At least pregnancy caused people to focus on places other than Kayla's face.

"How you coming Kay?" Tiffany called through the door, looking at her watch impatiently. "We have to leave within the hour to make it on time."

"Is Steve able to pick up James? Natasha said she was going to give him a call and see if he'd make the drive." Kayla asked from where she sat, causing Tiffany to open the door and peek in as the blonde began curling up her head of hair. Kayla smiled up at Tiffany as the little brunette grimaced behind her. Kayla saw her friend's reflection, noting how Tiffany's expression didn't match her gorgeous and confident exterior. Tiffany had pulled out all the stops, wearing a silver strapless bodycon dress with pumps that made her almost as tall as Kayla. Her hair was pulled up into a sporty ponytail with tendrils framing her face, and her lips were a dark shade of purple. "Tiff... what are you hiding?"

"Steve can't take James tonight." Tiffany winced as she blurted out her news, and Kayla turned around in the chair to look at her as she dropped a chunk of hair from the curling iron to swirl up another section.

Kayla considered her friend's response, knowing Tiffany wouldn't be this worked up unless there was more to the story, "Okay... is there a reason why? He knew this was happening tonight."

"He's going out. With someone..." Tiffany responded slowly, gauging Kayla's reception of the news that Steve was seeing somebody else.

Kayla swallowed hard, turning back to the mirror quickly to focus on her hair curling. She cleared her throat, "Oh, yeah, good for him, you know. I mean, I didn't realize we were seeing other people, but, Steve Rogers, what a catch..." Kayla bit her tongue, pleading herself not to cry. Tiffany wrapped her arms around her best friend and rested her cheek on Kayla's head.

"I'm so sorry Kay. It might not be like that. Sam never said it was a date, just that he was going out to see someone. That could be anyone."

"Anyone who's not me." Kayla finished, curling her last piece of hair and letting it fall with the others. "Could you help me with the updo?"

Tiffany nodded, going to work at piling Kayla's curls into a fashionable heap at the nape of her neck. "Sam's gonna be on standby tonight. Just in case something goes wrong. He and Bucky will be ready if we need them. Nat offered to stay back with James. I think she's a little relieved she doesn't have to go." Tiffany chuckled as she used her teeth to open a bobby pin and slide it into Kayla's thick hair, pinning it down. Kayla winced a little as the pin poked her scalp, but focused on her own reflection.

"Everything's fine. Everything is going to go just fine." Kayla chanted, trying to convince herself she'd be okay.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to be on standby for the Summit Gala tonight? I'll even let you toss the shield around for old times sake." Sam teased as he walked into the room in his new uniform. His Falcon uniform now resembled Steve's: with color-blocked red and white stripes across his torso and blue over his chest with the white star in the middle. Although retracted, Steve knew his wings were now brilliant red, hidden beneath a blue wing pack. He had the shield strapped onto his left arm, and his guns were locked and loaded in the pouches on his utility belt. Just because he was taking up the shield didn't mean he wasn't bringing back up weapons.

Steve forced a smile and shook his head, "No, no I think I'll be fine tonight. I'm retired, remember? Plus, I told you I was going out tonight."

"Like a date?" Sam pressed, putting his hands on his hips in a very Captain America way.

Steve smiled a little brighter as he met Sam's gaze, "Yeah. I think so. It's nothing serious yet."

"You remember you're still married right?" Sam asked, looking disappointed in his friend. "You're gonna break Kayla's heart."

"I said it wasn't serious. I'm just meeting up with an old friend." Steve defended, getting up from his barstool and grabbing his third beer from the fridge, "You better get going, you want to make sure you're close if there's trouble."

Sam just watched Steve for a moment. Watched the great Captain Steve Rogers, the first Avenger, World War II hero- as he drunk himself into a stupor, no better than any common man. He'd left his wife, given away his title, and lost who he was. It was sad for Sam to see, a man he had looked up to for so long had morphed into a bum with his disheveled hair and beard and withering muscles and growing gut. Sam began to wonder if Steve would soon resemble Thor more than Captain America, and that wasn't a compliment.

"Alright. Have a good night Cap." Sam said quietly as Bucky emerged from his bedroom, already dressed in his black vest with his rifle in hand in case he needed it. Bucky greeted Steve with a nod, then turned toward the door, saying no words to his best friend.

Steve watched as Sam latched the door closed, running his fingers through his hair and looking at his watch, "I'm not Cap anymore."

* * *

At 8:30pm, the Ellis family arrived fashionably late to the Summit Gala on Park Avenue. Their limo attracted attention as paparazzi waited to see which dignitaries or officials were arriving now. As the serviceman opened the door, Mathew Ellis got out of the car first, offering his hand to help his wife out, wearing a long champagne-colored gown. The cameras began to flash wildly at the former President and his wife, but it became worse when a familiar brunette assistant left the car and waited with two clutches in her hand for her boss. Paul Anderson, the President's son, rushed down the stairs to help Kayla onto the red carpet, offering her his arm to get out of the car. She smiled gratefully at the man she hadn't seen in years, giving him a nod of thanks with sharp eyes to tell him to give her space as the reporters began yelling questions at the woman.

"Miss Ellis! Miss Ellis, is this your first event since you've been back?"

"Kayla Ellis, how far along are you? Who's the father?"

"Miss Ellis, reports say you saved a young boy several weeks ago, do you have any comment?"

"Miss Ellis, Kayla- are you still connected to the Avengers after the disappearance of Captain America?"

Kayla waved sweetly at the cameras, showing off her baby bump in a flowing golden gown that was longer in the back than the front, eliminating the chance of her tripping. She held her light fur coat against her bodice, keeping warm as a light dusting of snow fell upon New York that December evening.

Kayla gave a coy wink at one of the cameras, sending off a hundred more questions as Tiffany scurried behind her. "Miss Ellis has no comment right now about the identity of the father. This is her first public event since she's been back and requests that you respect her privacy as she readjusts." Tiffany told the reporters loudly as Paul held open the door to the gala for Kayla to enter.

She took a deep breath as she looked around at the gorgeous ballroom. Purple lights illuminated the ceiling as people sat upstairs, talking about the upcoming Summit. There was a dancefloor near the stage and a podium for guest speakers of the evening. A hundred tables were sat around the dancefloor and stage, filling up as more people arrived.

Paul Anderson wandered up to Kayla in the foyer of the building, offering to take her faux fur coat as she stood just inside the doors looking around. Kayla stripped out of her coat, revealing thick straps and a modest neckline. A silver necklace that clashed terribly with her golden gown fell between her cleavage.

"It's nice to see you, Miss Ellis. It hit our family very hard when you were presumed dead." Paul said charmingly, studying the woman's face before taking a good look at her dress, "You look absolutely stunning tonight."

"Thanks," Kayla answered shortly, looking around the ballroom for someone else she may know. Paul wasn't done trying to have a conversation with her though.

"I'm sure everyone is going to ask how you survived. What happened. You've been missing for ten years, although there are rumors saying you were seen with a man several months ago, before everyone was brought back. He was, what, a grief counselor or something?" Paul pressed, but Kayla continued to ignore him as he stared at her, trying to get her to talk. Since she was focused so hard on neglecting him, he allowed himself a good stare at her plump cleavage and noticed something interesting around her neck. "Are those dog tags?"

At that, Kayla raised her head, hand resting on the silver chain around her neck. The tags themselves sat just below the neckline of her dress, but the chain was recognizable enough. "Yes. I lost a friend in battle. Someone I cared for very much."

Paul studied her, seeing her mind was elsewhere, but he was curious. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe we can talk about it more over drinks later-" He stopped when she raised her brow, his eyes darting back to her stomach then up to her eyes, "I mean, not drinks, food- or dancing? Would you spare me a dance?"

"Perhaps. If I'm in the mood." Kayla answered cooly, turning and walking into the ballroom to where Tiffany was standing with her parents, waiting for her so they could sit and eat. They entered the main ballroom and were led by a host to their table near the dancefloor. The host pulled out Kayla's chair and the blonde sat between her father and Tiffany, smiling up at the young man sweetly.

"President Ellis, so good to see you!" President Anderson bellowed as he approached the table to greet the family. Mathew rose and shook the man's hand before pulling the President into a friendly hug before Sandra rose and greeted him the same. When President Anderson reached Kayla, she gestured to her stomach and shrugged shyly.

"I'd stand, but it's harder than it looks." She chuckled, reaching her hand up to shake his with a beaming smile. "It's nice to see you again, Mr. President."

"The pleasure is mine Miss Ellis, it's quite an honor to have you among us here tonight. Your disappearance weighed heavily on this nation. I am thankful for your return and look forward to hearing how you survived. You were in the Triskellion in D.C. when it collapsed were you not?" President Anderson inquired as Sandra watched the exchange with weary eyes. As former CIA, she knew when someone was pushing for information, and the President wasn't just being friendly.

"I was there. After that, everything's a little fuzzy. I don't really like to talk about it." She admitted honestly, lowering her chin submissively to avoid the man's prying eyes.

"Understandable, it must have been quite an ordeal for you. As I said, we're just glad to have you back now." The President told the woman happily, and Kayla looked up and gave him a weak smile. "Well, I must continue the rounds, but we'll talk more after dinner. I'd love to speak with you Mathew, about an opportunity for you and your family."

The President left the Ellis family and moved to a nearby table, but his words lingered with Kayla. She looked slyly to Tiffany, not sure if she wanted to know what he meant or not. "When's dinner, I'm starving." Kayla whined, patting her large belly, "Baby girl is hungry too. I mean, I assume so, she's never moved or anything, but food is good, right?"

"Whatever you say, Kay." Tiffany giggled before asking the waiter for two glasses of water, one for her and one for her friend. When Kayla looked at her questioningly, Tiffany just joked, "I'll start drinking after dinner when all the pompous young men try and hit on the great Kayla Ellis, back from the dead."

Kayla groaned as she rolled her eyes, "They are too late." She patted her belly with her right hand, then grabbed the bottom of the silver chain with her left, her demeanor sobering, "They're too late."

**_Author's Note: _**_Things are about to get crazy. Ya'll might get whiplash from the next chapter and that's because the previous chapters were setting up a totally different narrative and I decided to go in a different direction. **Spoilers, because I guess I needed to get this off my chest? **The next chapter was hard to write. Killing off characters is hard, and Kayla's life is about to get way, way worse..._

**_amberhardy-_**_ I know, the three super-men and a baby was so delightful! And yes, they are both stupid and hard-headed at times, this being one of them. Will we see Steve at the gala? Maybe? Maybe not? He's got a date with an old friend, so he's only going to show up if she does. _


	13. Chapter 13

After dinner, Mathew and Sandra mingled with the foreign dignitaries that they knew, and Kayla sat with Tiffany alone at their table by the dance floor as a string quartet began to play. Kayla fiddled with her necklace, holding the tags in her palm tightly as she watched couples take to the floor. She smiled weakly, seeing as people from around the world came to celebrate life- and the hope that they could put things back together.

Over the next week, many of the world's nations would come together and pitch ideas for rebuilding the world that existed before Thanos. They needed a cohesive plan to get civilizations back to their former glory. There were border wars. Homelessness was higher than it ever had been, and there wasn't enough food for the several billion living creatures that appeared overnight. Humanity was glad to have their loved ones back, but grief was also high because some of the dusted came back to find their loved ones had died. The world was falling into madness, and this was a good step towards recuperation.

But Kayla found the lavish kick-off party unnecessary. She rolled her eyes at Tiffany as giddy girls flirted with foreign boys and politicians schmoozed and tried to get support for their initiatives. The booze continued to flow, and inhibitions began to drop. It was only a matter of time before Paul or some other tipsy man wanted to talk to the mysterious pregnant blonde.

"Mrs. Rogers- would you like to dance?"

Kayla's head flew up at the familiar voice and tears began to well in her eyes. She scrambled to her feet and embraced the man tightly, but not as tightly as King T'Challa expected."

"Oh, how I've missed you. I've seen you since you came back, but, we didn't really get a chance to talk." Kayla exclaimed breathlessly as the King of Wakanda looked the girl up and down.

"No, no we did not. I didn't expect you to be here this evening. What happened to, as you say, 'laying low'?" T'Challa teased as he offered his arm to the blonde and led her toward the dance floor slowly.

Kayla tried to decide how to answer, holding her mouth open as she collected her thoughts, "There was... a development. After the funeral. I lost my super-soldier serum. I put myself and my daughter in danger... Steve left."

T'Challa stopped at that, turning quickly to the girl with stern eyes, "He left?"

Kayla nodded meekly, "Our daughter... might have brain damage. Because of me. He was really upset. I haven't seen or heard from him in almost four months."

"That's not like the Captain," T'Challa said simply, placing Kayla's hand on his shoulder and he placed his other hand firmly on her side, never straying too low. "He will come around. He's been through a lot. He's seen things no man should have to see. Perhaps this has less to do with you, and more to do with him."

"That makes me feel a little better." Kayla grinned as she stepped to the side, dancing eloquently with her friend, "We'll see."

"It's nice to see you out in the light Kayla. Perhaps you and Shuri can work together now. We are presenting a Wakandan outreach project on Monday morning. General Okoye will be arriving with my sister tomorrow evening. I'm sure Shuri would welcome your help. I'm sure many would." T'Challa said as he looked over her head, seeing Paul sizzling next to Tiffany at their table, "It seems someone wants your attention."

Kayla looked over her shoulder as T'Challa turned, allowing her a view of Paul as Tiffany sat with her cheek in her palm, not enjoying how close the creep was standing. Kayla moaned as she looked back up to T'Challa, "He's the President's son. He keeps snooping. He wants to know where I've been. They all do. But I'm not defined by my past, only how I can shape the future."

"Wise words Mrs. Rogers. I look forward to seeing what you bring to the table at the Summit."

"I think it's Miss Ellis as of now." Kayla corrected sadly, sighing as she rested her head against the collarbone of his black tuxedo jacket. "And I'm not coming to the Summit. Only the gala. I'm a party trick. One night only."

"Perhaps you once were, but not anymore. As you said, you aren't defined by your past," T'Challa told the woman as he kissed her hand and let her go, wandering off to speak with others here for the Summit. He was here for business, not pleasure. Kayla didn't know what she was here for.

Kayla spun around, taking in the couples around her on the dance floor. This would have made her heart swell a decade ago, but not tonight. The quartet began to play a sultry tango and Kayla began to leave the dance floor until she realized Paul was still hovering by her table. Tiffany shook her head a little, warning Kayla not to return. Kayla turned and moved to the side, away from Paul as the tall, lanky man began to approach. Kayla knew Paul from college, a slimy snake who's ambitions rivaled her own. He saw her as a challenge, and she didn't want to play.

"May I have this dance miss?" A Spanish gentleman asked Kayla, offering out his hand as she passed by looking dazed. She smiled up and nodded weakly, grabbing onto his hand as he gently moved her around the dance floor. Kayla looked over her shoulder to see Paul watching her, stalking her through the crowd, determined to get his dance.

As the music began to swell, Paul finally made his move, "May I cut in?" The Spanish officer bowed his head and released Kayla, even though her green eyes begged him not to let her go. Paul grabbed onto her hand tightly and pulled her against his chest as the music continued loud and dark, creating a romantic mood that made Kayla sick.

"Now, where were we?" Paul smirked as Kayla raised her chin defiantly and looked away. He led their dance, and she barely moved as he pushed her around the dance floor. "What happened to you, Kayla? The years have been cruel to you."

"They were cruel as they were kind, I assure you." Kayla snapped back, sparing the man a spiteful glare as he moved them easily across the wooden floor.

He grinned at her answer, looking down, "They couldn't have been all bad... there are only two ways to get a bastard child. By fun or force."

"How dare you?" Kayla growled, trying to push the man away, but he held her tight against him, "Are you insinuating I don't know who the father is?"

"Do you?"

"Of course."

"Do you love him?" Paul asked. The intensity between them growing as the song began to reach its end. "I just can't imagine you happily in love."

Kayla snarled at the man, driving her heel into his foot as her patience reached its end, "I was. It's complicated. He's gone."

Paul bit his lip as his foot stung, but his grip on Kayla stayed tight. He looked at her with dark eyes, "You don't want them to grow up without a father, do you? I'll take care of you, Kayla. Imagine what we could do- together. You are influential and mysterious. Your secrets drive the world mad, I want to know them."

"If I told you, they wouldn't be secrets anymore," Kayla whispered fearfully as the tango faded into a sad, sweeping rendition of I Dreamed a Dream. There couldn't have been a more fitting song for Kayla's defeat. Paul took her lack of answer as a maybe, and pulled her close to his chest, resting his cheek on top of her head.

_This isn't how it's meant to end. This isn't how it's meant to be..._

She was thankful Paul couldn't see her cry, but she knew he could feel the way her body shook at his touch. He lifted her chin to look up at him, smiling down sweetly at her, "We'll take things slow. I only want to help you, Kayla. Please let me."

Kayla gasped for air, wanting to tell him no, but she felt helpless. Her world was crumbling and all she knew was that she shouldn't have come to this stupid gala. She felt like a tiger in a cage, something once so powerful without any hope of breaking free.

As the music began to swell, Paul loosened his grip and spun Kayla. He loosened it just a little too much though, and she broke free of his grip, spinning right into someone tall and sturdy. Before she even realized what had happened, the stranger had her in his arms, and her legs gave out at his touch. She didn't fall though, because he held her tightly against him, but not with the threatening grip of Paul. He held her like she was the most precious thing his hands had ever touched.

"Excuse me, we were dancing here." Paul snapped when he realized his girl was now in the arms of someone else.

"Not anymore." The stranger answered cooly, holding Kayla possessively against him as he looked down at her lovingly.

Paul studied the man with scraggly hair and beard, seeing he didn't belong in this world, "Who the hell are you? What makes you think you have the right to steal a person's-"

"I'm dancing with her now. Find a different partner." The newcomer's familiar blue eyes were filled with fire as he spun around, taking Kayla with him. She just stared up at him with shocked eyes, unable to speak.

He looked down at her with a sad smile, his demeanor softening with his girl, "Hi Kay."

"Steve." She whimpered, reaching up to touch his face as if she hadn't believed he was real until this moment, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see you. I can't spend another moment without you." He breathed as he leaned down to kiss her, but realized he couldn't, so he pressed his forehead against hers while she ran her fingers through his beard, "I'm so sorry Kay...I love you so much."

"I love you too," Kayla replied, sighing into him as the music slowed down, a sad melody that matched their conversation, "Everyone thinks you are dead."

"I know. I'm not sure if I should correct them or not." Steve chuckled, hitting his nose against the bridge of hers. He shifted so she could rest against his shoulder and placed his face against her head lovingly. "I heard about what you did for that little boy at the hospital. You saved his life."

"I had to-" Kayla started, staring off into the crowd of people, but they weren't real. It was just her and Steve, and the rest of the world didn't matter. Nothing else mattered as long as he held her. Her mind wandered from the child to her conversation with Tiffany earlier, "Tiffany said you were going out with someone tonight."

"I am. I'm out to see my best girl." Steve informed Kayla as he shifted his head to see her eyes, "I'm here to ask if she'll still have me."

Kayla met his sad blue eyes and saw there was hopefulness in them. He was asking her to forgive him. She grabbed at the chain around her neck and pulled its contents out of her dress, holding them in her hand for him to see. Steve looked down and smiled thankfully at his dog tags and her wedding ring. She looked back up to the man she loved. He looked terrible. He looked disheveled and tired, even in his fancy suit. But she loved him no less, "I'll always have you, darling. You're the love of my life."

Steve grabbed at her jaw with both hands, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs. It took everything in him not to kiss his wife, but he knew if he took her with his lips he'd never let her go, and she'd have to explain to the entire world who this stranger was who held her so lovingly. "Let me take you away?"

Kayla nodded vigorously, "Yes. Please. Take me home." Steve picked her up easily and spun her around, her gold dress falling around her as her feet left the ground. As soon as her thick heels hit the ground though, their light-filled world turned to darkness.

Gunshots rang out in the ballroom, and Steve pulled Kayla into him as people began screaming. Kayla pushed against Steve, looking up to his face as he looked around for the source of gunfire, "I have to find Tiffany and my parents."

"No. I'm not letting you out of my sight," Steve informed her, but she began to argue until a clear accented voice cut through the screaming.

"The night has just begun! Play!" The German man ordered the quartet who were shaking on the stage beyond the barrel of his small gun. A small woman with a violin placed the instrument to her chin and began to play something snappy as the man in a black trenchcoat turned to face the crowd.

Kayla gasped as Steve pulled her farther into the panicking crowd. She held her hand to her mouth to keep from screaming out loud as she shook. Steve just stared in disbelief. He'd found them. "Schmidt," Steve muttered in Kayla's ear, holding her on the stomach and just below the chest, keeping her as close as he could from behind.

Kayla looked over her shoulder at Steve, seeing the determination in his eyes. He was going to fight his old enemy. "No. You can't. He has the Soul Stone. He'll kill you. And me, and my family."

"Where's James?"

"He's home with Nat." Kayla replied, watching as the Red Skull's eyes scanned the crowd. As a human he was terrifying, knowing it was a facade for the devil underneath made it so much worse. "Steve, you need to get out of here."

"What about you?" Steve asked sadly, knowing she was right. He could sneak out now, but if he waited much longer he'd be a sitting duck.

Kayla leaned into Steve, pressing her body against him to feel him, "He's less likely to find you if I stay behind."

"If anything happens to you-"

"I love you too, Steve." Kayla placed her hand behind her back and pushed against Steve's stomach, telling him to go. She felt his presence fade and knew he was gone.

Everyone in the room made a semi-circle around the dancefloor where Johann Schmidt took the stage, looking around with his gun pointed at the guests. His dark eyes glowed amber for a few moments and suddenly Kayla realized she was walking toward him, out of the crowd against her will. When she got to him, he grabbed onto her jaw harshly as the crowd gasped, "We meet again."

"You-took everything from me." Kayla hissed as he held her tight, smiling at her. "But you're too late. He's dead."

Schmidt stared at her, then pressed his bony hand against her chest as his power invaded her soul, "You're lying. He's here." Schmidt turned to the crowd, still holding Kayla by the jaw. He grabbed her by the neck instead, lifting her a foot off the ground as she grabbed his arm, holding herself up. Everyone screamed and backed farther away as he looked around the room. "Captain America! Will you hide in the shadows while the woman you love dies?"

Kayla saw a beard in the crowd and shot him a pleading glance. As he approached, another bearded man turned around and looked back at Kayla desperately before turning and running out the door reluctantly. The dark sheen of vibranium was lost on Johann Schmidt, but it was Kayla's saving grace.

Suddenly Sam swooped in through the open doors and landed right in front of Schmidt and Kayla, folding in his wings as he held the shield before the Red Skull. "She doesn't die today."

Schmidt's eyes narrowed in suspicion of the newcomer. "You are not Captain America-"

"See that's where you're wrong. With Steve Rogers' dying breath he gave me the shield and asked me to take his place. He died fighting Thanos. And you will die fighting me." Sam told the Red Skull confidently, and Kayla couldn't help but give him a proud smile as she hung by the neck. "Let her go. This is between you and me."

Schmidt threw Kayla to the side and swung his gun around the musicians, threatening them to keep playing during his duel. Kayla gasped, trying to get air back into her lungs as she sat on the floor, looking up as Sam stared down the Red Skull menacingly. While he was distracted, a round of rifle shots penetrated Schmidt from the crowd. The gala guests screamed and hit the floor as the Winter Soldier stepped forward, his gun at the ready to shoot again. Schmidt wavered a little, then used the Soul Stone to pull the bullets from his chest and discard them on the floor. "You're going to have to do better than that, Barnes!"

Schmidt blasted at the soldier as Bucky dove out of the way. Everyone was flooding toward the exit now, no longer afraid of being targeted but afraid of being killed by accident. It was clear what this man wanted, and it had to do with the Avengers. Schmidt discarded his gun and shot his hands out at Sam, who held up the shield and sent the rays flying elsewhere.

Kayla watched from the ground, unsure if retreating would just bring more fire into the crowd. Suddenly she felt a covered hand on her shoulder and looked up to see The Black Panther hovering over her. "Come. They can handle this." Kayla scrambled to her feet and T'Challa stood between her and the firefight as she made her way out of the ballroom and into the foyer. "Stay here," T'Challa ordered as he jumped back into the battle.

Finally, Schmidt grew tired of fighting and blasted Captain America, the Winter Soldier, and the Black Panther away. "I came here for a soul, and I'm not leaving without one." He bellowed, and his voice sounded inhuman to Kayla's ears as she quivered behind a pillar near the doors as people continued to run out of the ballroom. Schmidt created a wisp of gold, then swung his hand to the side, ripping it through the retreating crowd. Kayla looked around the pillar and saw everyone who the smoke touched fall to the ground. She breathed heavily, praying he would leave and never come back, even if that was hoping against hope. Suddenly, he was behind her.

"Your soul is broken. Perhaps he really is dead. Either way, you'll live knowing these deaths are on you and your precious Captain America. You can raise your bastard children never knowing who their father is." Schmidt growled before vanishing in front of Kayla's eyes. She panted now that she was alone, then looked over her shoulder at the now empty ballroom. The only people still remaining were T'Challa, Sam, Bucky, and the bodies. Even the string quartet had scrambled to safety.

Bucky and T'Challa stood amongst the bodies. T'Challa looked horrified and Bucky looked melancholy as his rifle hung loosely at his side. He'd seen such carnage before. Kayla stood among them, shaking as she looked around. But it wasn't until she heard Sam weeping that she really looked.

"No. No no no." Kayla flung herself beside Sam and grabbed Tiffany's lifeless body from where she laid on the ground. "Come back. Please... please come back" She looked up at Sam, who had discarded his cowl and he took Tiffany from Kayla, cradling her against his chest as he wept loudly. Kayla looked up at Bucky, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "What have we done?"

**_Author's Notes: _**

**_Guest- _**_I'm so glad you like the story! Thank you for reading!_

_**amberhardy- **Alright, alright, I'll admit, I was more ominous than I should have been, but I didn't want to give it away- but it wasn't Sharon Carter. I loved writing this reunion for Steve and Kayla. I also didn't realize I kept writing Steve leaving Kayla when she was pregnant, that was definitely a 'My Bad' so thank you for bringing it to my attention. I think about it a lot now haha. It's more circumstances and timing, but yeah, Steve can't do that anymore. If they have more kids that is. _


	14. Chapter 14

Bucky knelt beside Kayla and wrapped his arms around her comfortingly as she sobbed. She turned into the leather of his vest, grabbing it desperately as her heart shattered in her chest. She was barely aware of the SWAT team that entered the ballroom, guns aimed at the four remaining alive.

"Hands up!" One man yelled, and T'Challa's masked faded as he obliged. Sam hoisted Tiffany up and held her body in his arms as he stood to face the men. Bucky looked up at them as Kayla continued to cry, but he didn't listen to their directions. The man approached, gun aimed at the soldier, "I said hands up!"

Kayla turned and looked at the man with her tear-streaked face, rising from her place on the floor. Bucky followed suit, raising his hands begrudgingly as he let his rifle fall to the floor. Kayla looked over her shoulder at Bucky, and he nodded at her, silently promising to protect her.

"Leave them be. They helped stop the attacker." Kayla looked over at Bucky again, smiling apologetically at the man before turning back to the SWAT team, "He came here for me. He used me as bait."

NYPD slowly crept passed the pillars by the entrance doors, weapons up and aimed at the Avengers. A shaking, dark-haired woman took the lead, and the SWAT team nodded toward Kayla. She came around the blonde and pulled her hands behind her back. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"Kayla, what are you doing? You didn't do anything wrong. He attacked you." Sam asked, watching as Kayla allowed the woman to cuff her.

Kayla hung her head as a lone tear fell from her green eye, "I set him free. Then lead him here. This is all my fault."

The woman gently shoved Kayla forward, leading her to the large doors. When she arrived, the door swung open and the new reporters who were live-streaming the situation all turned to face her, watching as she was led to a police car waiting outside. Kayla pretended she couldn't hear her mother demanding what the meaning of this was, or her father threatening to sue the NYPD with the best lawyers in the country. She was roughly pushed into the car, and the door slammed before taking her downtown.

* * *

"Kayla!" Sandra came barreling into the station flanked by secret servicemen as her husband scurried behind her, "Kayla are you alright?"

"This is all my fault. All those people are dead... because of me. She's dead because of me." Kayla cried as she pushed her hand against the glass separating her from her parents. "You need to make sure nothing happens to Bucky, T'Challa, and Sam. You have to swear to me-"

"Kayla we are more worried about you, you are the one in jail right now. He should have gotten you out instead." Mathew said bitterly, and Kayla tilted her head, causing a chunk of her loose hair to fall.

"Who?"

"Steve. After the gunfire started he came to us and helped us to leave. He made sure we got out safe before he circled back around. We thought he was going to look for you." Mathew explained, seeing this was news to Kayla. She smiled thankfully, glad her husband was keeping her family safe. If only he had saved all of it.

"Why didn't he get... her?" Kayla asked, unable to utter her best friend's name. She swallowed back her tears as it set in exactly where she was and why she was there.

Sandra wiped away a loose tear from under her eye, "He tried. She wouldn't leave without you two."

Kayla chuckled, tossing back her head to stop the tears, "Damn, she stayed behind for Sam and I. Glad I have that on my conscience for all eternity." She wiped her palm across her eyes, smearing her makeup across the sides of her face. "Everyone said to let Natasha go. But I couldn't. I couldn't accept that I'd lost someone. Now all those people are dead, because of me. My best friend is dead because of me."

"It's not your fault honey." Sandra started, but Kayla continued talking, curling her hand into a fist against the glass as she spoke.

"It really is though. I've been trying so hard to be good, to be better. I shouldn't have come tonight, I _knew_ he'd find me. If I had stayed hidden, everything would have been fine. But I wanted to show Steve that I didn't need him. That I was fine without him."

Sandra and Mathew shared a knowing look and Matt turned to his daughter, "We're gonna get you out of here, Peanut. I swear we will." Mathew promised, and Kayla forced a grim smile, nodding at his optimism. She couldn't admit it out loud, but she somehow felt like she deserved to be locked up.

"Where's James? Is he okay?" Kayla asked suddenly, realizing her parents had said nothing about her boy. "Is he still with Natasha?"

"Natasha's gone. Took the baby and your dog. We don't know where she is. We sent someone to check as soon as we got out of the gala." Mathew explained and Kayla nodded thoughtfully. Natasha was smart. If anyone could keep her son safe, it was her. Mathew looked at his watch, then over his shoulder to the secret servicemen behind him, "We have to go, Kay. We are working hard to get you out of here. There's a good chance you'll get put on trial for the whole ordeal, but we have the best lawyers flying in to defend you. You didn't do this. This isn't your fault."

"I didn't do it, but it is my fault. There's no denying that." Kayla mumbled sadly as the officer came to take her away, "I love you guys."

"We love you too, honey, everything is going to be okay," Sandra called as the secret servicemen guided them away. Suddenly, Kayla was alone. She was dropped off in a cell. Not a terrible cell, at least she was alone. But it wasn't home. Steve was going to take her home. They were going to be together, finally, after all this time. Steve would save her, wherever he was. He would find a way to fix this, and they'd be together again.

Right?

* * *

"Kayla Ellis. You have a visitor. Again."

Kayla lifted her head from the desk she'd been handcuffed to for the past four hours. She'd been visited by her parents, by her parent's lawyers, by Sam, by Paul of all people, and now Wanda Maximoff stood in front of her, wearing her red leather jacket with her hands in her pockets.

Kayla looked at her expectantly, unsure what she was supposed to say to her younger friend. Wanda had looked up to Kayla once, even when Kayla was on the run. Kayla had defended her when she was imprisoned with her on the raft, but this was something else. Kayla had gone willingly.

Wanda's eyes glowed a bright red for a moment, and Kayla accepted having her brain broken into as Wanda moved her fingers inside the pockets of her jacket. As Wanda's eyes simmered back to their normal color, her face was sad, "I'm so sorry, Kayla."

"Yeah. Me too. How are you doing Wanda? How's the farm been?"

"Smelly. But relaxing. It's been really nice, but, I'm ready to come home." Wanda admitted as she looked over the desk at Kayla's stomach. "How's the baby. She move yet?"

"Not a bit. I'll probably have her in prison." Kayla informed, leaning back in her chair, "Honestly, I don't know if things could get much worse. I was so close, Wanda, Steve was there. Steve was going to take me away and everything was going to be fine. And that's all ruined now. If I wasn't famous before, I will be now."

"We'll figure it out. I'll try to find Steve-"

"No. No its better if you don't, the Red Skull is still out there somewhere and he has it out for Steve. Steve banished him, you know that. You've seen what he can do. If he finds Steve... I can't lose him too, Wanda. I can't." Kayla reached forward to grab Wanda's hands, but the shackles held her back, causing her to pull back in embarrassment.

"What are you gonna do then? Rot in jail?" Wanda asked bitterly, wanting to rip apart the handcuffs with her powers, but knowing that Kayla wasn't ready to leave. She was accepting the consequences of her actions.

Kayla nodded with her lips pulled tight, "Yeah, for now. Check on Sam. See if you can find Natasha. That's all any of you can do at this point. Although..." Kayla trailed off thoughtfully as she stared at Wanda, "Could you deliver something for me? Something for Pepper." She produced an envelope that was hiding inside her prison jacket, safe and out of prying eyes. "Just drop it off if you can. Mail it if you can't. Just- make sure it gets to Pepper okay?"

Wanda nodded earnestly, taking the envelope and shoving it into her own red jacket, "I think I can handle that. I think I can do a lot more if you'd let me."

Kayla shook her head with a bittersweet smile, "I don't want you all getting dragged into this any more than you already are. It'll be another Sokovia Accords if I don't take the fall."

"That's not your job Kay-"

"I hid from the Accords the first time. I'll pay the price this time around. Don't worry. Steve will save me. I know he will."

Two Weeks Later

"Reporting live from New York City Criminal Court, former President's Daughter Kayla Ellis is on trial for her part in the mass murder that occurred at the Summit Gala on December 13. Forty-two dignitaries and guests from around the world were murdered when an enhanced individual came to use Miss Ellis as bait for Captain Steve Rogers, who has been confirmed dead since the Return of the Vanished almost five months ago. Kayla Ellis was thought to be dead for almost ten years before her resurgence in September of this year. Today, the world gets some answers."

Kayla was guided into the courtroom with guards on both sides, her hands shackled together as they led her to the stand. She wore an orange jumpsuit and her long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail that trailed down her back. Her belly had grown in two weeks, showing she was obviously pregnant. Her lawyer hoped that would sway the jury in her favor, but Kayla didn't think of her child as a prop to gain her freedom.

Two weeks. Fourteen nights alone in a prison cell. Everyone came to visit her. Everyone but Steve. Kayla was starting to wonder if he didn't make it out alive. She really hoped he did. Nobody broke her out. Nobody offered her a plan. She was really going to prison. She hadn't seen that coming.

**Author's Notes:**

**amberhardy- **_Yeah, it definitely won't last... I'll try to upload one a day for a little while! Thanks for reading!_


	15. Chapter 15

Kayla stood before the judge, a lean man in his early sixties who looked somewhat happy to be there. To watch this trial unfold. Within the walls of the courtroom, the cameras couldn't flash and the reporters couldn't be ignored. He wanted to learn Kayla Ellis's secrets.

Kayla's lawyer was the same age as the judge, but he had a youthful appearance to him. He had thick brown hair and a knowing grin that made clients have faith in their defendant. He'd never lost a case in his thirty-year career as a lawyer, and taking on the trial of the infamous socialite would be the feather in his cap.

"Mr. Roberts," The judge addressed Kayla's lawyer as she stood to his left, facing the front of the courtroom, "How does your client plea?"

"Not guilty. My client has been wrongfully accused of being an accomplice to someone who's intent was to kill her. We plan to prove her innocence." Mr. Roberts answered confidently, already believing this would be a quick and painless trial.

"Very well, we will proceed." The judge said as he pounded his gavel.

Kayla could sense the hint of delight in a real trial, but she felt sick to her stomach that she was the cause of it. "Would the prosecutor please bring forward their first witness?"

A tall, muscular blonde rose from her seat across from Kayla, moving to stand before the judge. She looked similar to Kayla in her super soldier form, sharp green eyes and all. She smirked at Kayla, flipping her thick blonde ponytail over her should as she addressed the judge, "Your honor, I'd like to bring Thaddeus Ross to the stand."

"Oh shit." Kayla grumbled as her lawyer looked to her.

"What do you mean 'oh shit'? How do you know him?"

Thaddeus Ross grunted as he took a seat next to the judge on his right-hand side, smiling wickedly at Kayla as the prosecutor approached him, "Thank you for being here today, Secretary Ross."

"The pleasure is all mine Miss...?" Ross gestured to the blonde, realizing he didn't know her name.

"Please, just call me Amora." She answered sweetly as she waved her hand nonchalantly. "Now Secretary Ross, can you tell me how you know Miss Ellis, exactly?"

"Well let's just say I've often run in circles near her father, being a general under his term as President. I was familiar with Miss Ellis but I can't say we ever really talked. Not until the incident in Germany."

"Which incident would you be referring to, Mr. Secretary?" Amora asked sweetly, turning to throw a questioning glance at Kayla. Ross snorted as he did the same.

"Captain Rogers went rogue. Tried to keep a fugitive out of custody. He went against the Sokovia Accords and brought several of his colleagues down with him. Some who sit in this room today-"

"Objection your honor, relevance." Kayla's lawyer argued loudly as he stood.

"I'll allow it. What part in this does Miss Ellis play?" The judge asked, moving the trial along.

Ross settled into his chair, looking like the smug bastard he was as he smiled toward Kayla, "Because she was with him. She helped Captain Rogers escape. We gave her the same punishment as everyone else, sentenced her to the Raft, just like everybody else. Now keep in mind, at this point Kayla Ellis was thought to have been dead for two years."

Amora looked toward Kayla wildly, a beaming grin on her face, "Really? So you incarcerated the former President's daughter. How long was she in prison before she was released?"

Ross scoffed loudly, "Released? She broke out. Her mother came to visit, who at this time had barely stepped down as First Lady of the United States. Miss Ellis broke out of her cell and used her mother as a shield to escape in the Presidential helicopter."

"She broke out of a Federal Prison? And there have been no repercussions since then?" Amora asked Ross, but his eyes were locked on Kayla's.

He shifted his head, narrowing his eyes, "No. She wasn't seen or heard from again until the last two years of the decimation. I saw her in person at the funeral of Tony Stark."

At the sound of the billionaire's name, the crowded courtroom began to murmur loudly, causing the judge to beat his gavel loudly to get their attention.

"Do you have any more questions for Secretary Ross?" The judge asked as he sat down his gavel, turning to the prosecutor.

Amora looked over her shoulder, her long blonde hair bouncing as she moved her head, "No further questions."

Mr. Roberts rose from his seat and walked over to Ross, studying the man as he did, "Secretary Ross, you said that you incarcerated Miss Ellis for being in violation of the Sokovia Accords. What jurisdiction did the Accords have over an American citizen with no powers and no history of working with the Avengers? Being engaged to Captain America doesn't make my client an Avenger or an enhanced individual."

Ross smirked, snorting as he prepared to speak, "Mr. Roberts, are you aware that your client had enough strength to break through glass strong enough to contain the Hulk? If she's not enhanced, how do you explain her ability to do that?"

"Look at her, does she look enhanced to you?" Mr. Roberts gestured to the very pregnant Kayla Ellis, as she sat in her chair, leaning against the table before her. She smiled grimly, knowing her current appearance aided his observation.

"She shattered shatterproof glass and bent through metal. What she did was illegal." Ross answered, leaning back in his chair. "She was an Avenger. If she runs with the Avengers, and she fights with the Avengers, she should be charged as an Avenger. Whether or not her husband is still around. Which he is by the way. He was at Stark's funeral, even though she's been claiming he died reversing the decimation. You can't trust anything she says."

Kayla's lawyer looked over his shoulder and Kayla tensed, knowing her bad decisions weren't going to help her case. Mr. Roberts sighed, "No further questions."

"Will the defendant call up his first witness." The judge announced and Bruce Banner took to the stand. Bucky shifted in his seat as the doctor sat uncomfortably in the small chair on the left of the judge, smiling weakly at Kayla's lawyer as he took an oath to tell the truth.

"Doctor Banner, you've known Miss Ellis for many years now. Eleven I believe? Do you believe that Kayla tries to do the right thing?" Mr. Roberts started, and Bruce nodded without hesitation, looking to Kayla as she gave him a sad smile.

"Yes. Kayla is very passionate. She cares deeply about her friends and family. Dare I say, her accidentally releasing the Red Skull from Vormir was to save one of her best friends when the rest of us had given up. She was the only one brave enough to take the risk. Sure, it didn't turn out exactly as she had planned, but she meant well. She would never hurt anyone." Bruce answered honestly, shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny of the jury.

"She saved a child several weeks ago. He would have died without her medicine. Can you elaborate on her work?" Mr. Roberts asked again and Bruce nodded slowly, considering his words.

"Yes- I, uh, have worked with her before. She's a chemist. She's found a way to strengthen and stabilize cells, which often causes organs to work more efficiently. She's one of the most brilliant scientists I've ever met. She could change the world."

Mr. Roberts smiled happily, nodding as he crossed in front of Bruce, "No further questions."

As Mr. Roberts moved to sit down beside Kayla, Amora rose slowly and walked toward Bruce, sizing up the large green man before beginning her questioning, "Doctor Banner, why did you first meet Kayla Ellis?"

Bruce studied the prosecutor, realizing where the questioning was going, "We met at the Governer's Ball in 2013. She approached Captain Rogers and myself."

"But why were you there?"

"Someone stole a vial of my blood... and Captain America's blood... it ended up being Kayla," Bruce admitted slowly, knowing the sooner he got it out, the sooner he could move around it.

"Why? Why did she need your blood? Was she creating something?" Amora pressed, a wicked grin growing as Bruce's eyes began to dart around the room.

"She was working on the super soldier serum that created Captain America. She succeeded." Bruce continued, lowering his jaw to the lawyer who placed her fingers under her chin thoughtfully.

"How do you know she succeeded? Did she test it on someone?"

"Yeah, herself."

Amora's eyes widened at that, looking up at Bruce with a new sort of liveliness, "Really? So that's why she was enhanced. So she broke into a top-secret government facility, then three years later broke out of one and faced no consequences? Is that correct?"

Bruce began to stutter, realizing this was about to go downhill fast, "I mean, yes, but-"

"But what Doctor Banner? Does she get a special pass because she's the President's Daughter? Because she's Captain America's wife? Do the rules not apply?"

"She gave her life to protect Steve so he could save the world. She let herself be captured to allow Steve to save the world again, and she only broke out to help him. Everything she's done has been to help the greater good-"

"And by the greater good, you mean Steve Rogers? Everything she's done since the moment she got on your radar was for Steve Rogers. Can you say, under oath, that she does what she does for the greater good? Or are her good deeds only good because she does them for Captain America?" Amora pressed, standing close to Bruce as he stared down at her.

He looked from Kayla to the lawyer, grinding his teeth for a moment before muttering, "Steve is the most important person in her life. She wouldn't do anything that could potentially hurt him. Their interests often align."

"Did Captain Rogers want her to go to Vormir?"

"No."

"So the one time she didn't do what Captain America wanted her to do, she ended up releasing a dangerous enhanced individual onto the world. Is that correct?"

"She did it to save Natasha Romanoff. She's an Avenger and a good friend. To all of us."

"She didn't need to." Amora snapped, pointing at Kayla, "She only does what she wants and remains unchecked. How are we supposed to trust her knowing she holds the formula to a super soldier serum?"

Bruce stared angrily at the prosecutor, but the judge didn't ask her to stop. He grumbled a bit before answering clearly, "She just wants to live a normal life with her family. She doesn't want to spread the formula. I don't even know what it is, and it's based on my own work."

"Is the super soldier serum what she used on Warner Byrne?"

Bruce looked to Kayla, who took a deep breath and kept her head even, knowing Bruce would tell the truth. "Yes. I believe she did. A very weak dose. Enough to save the boy's life. It's not a risk, its a life saver."

Amora lifted her chin thoughtfully, bopping as she walked in front of the stand, "So she gave an unknowing child a prototype super soldier serum in a hospital without telling anyone what was in it?"

Bruce leaned forward, clasping his large hands as he met the eyes of Amora, "I read that boy's file. He was about to die. Kayla got permission from his mother, even without Mrs. Byrne knowing what it was. And if the hospital allowed a person who isn't a doctor to administer medicine, they cannot complain about it in court."

Amora raised one dark, sculpted brow at Doctor Banner's bold statement, but she had more tricks up her sleeve. "No further questions."

Several days and a dozen witnesses later, Kayla finally took to the stand herself. She looked out at her family and friends in attendance. Her parents looked miserable, as the trial had gone back and forth, revealing many of her dirty little secrets. Sam looked sad, knowing the proceedings today would be especially awful for Kayla. Wanda looked at her nails, bored from the trial. She should have just broken Kayla out of jail when she had the chance. Bucky watched intently, knowing he was the closest link to her missing husband. None of them had heard from Steve Rogers since the gala three weeks earlier.

"Miss Ellis, do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth so help you God?" The bailiff asked as Kayla sat her right hand on the Bible.

Amora stood and walked over to where Kayla sat beside the judge, her fiery red pumps clicking as she walked. She wore a deep navy suit and her hair was clipped up at the back of her head. She wore dark-framed glasses that she hadn't worn before, and her lips were a cherry red that matched her shoes. "Miss Ellis, do you know why you are here?"

Kayla balked at the question, scrunching her brows as she looked to the prosecutor, "I'm here because people are dead. I didn't kill them, but I did release Johann Schmidt from Vorimir. Why do you ask?" Kayla bit back, crossing her arms over her large stomach as she leaned back.

"Because we brought you here to question your involvement in the gala, as you just stated. However, many more offenses have come into play. After the fall of the Triskelion, where were you for two years?"

"With the Avengers," Kayla answered honestly, earning a couple of gasps from the jury as they watched her carefully. She looked from them to Amora, "Brock Rumlow tried to shoot Steve Rogers with my anti-serum. I jumped in front of him to save Steve's life. Sam Wilson, who is now Captain America, gave me super soldier serum to save my life. I was too scared to go home, so I went to them."

"Speaking of Brock Rumlow, was he not involved in the Lagos disaster? Isn't this you there?" Amora pulled up a photo on a screen to their right, showing Kayla and Steve hovering over Rumlow, Kayla aiming a gun at the man's head. "Did you shoot him?"

"No. I didn't. He attempted a suicide bombing to kill himself and Steve and I, Wanda saved us by containing the blast."

"The same blast that killed all those innocent people in the hospital. That happened because of you?" Amora prodded, pacing in front of the other blonde.

Kayla nodded slowly, "I made an error in judgment. I lingered. I gloated. I should have shot him then and there." Kayla nodded toward the photo, and the crowd whispered at her words. She raised her chin defiantly as Amora nodded, turning toward the jury.

"So you weren't directly responsible for the Lagos incident, but you were a part of it. What about the bombing in Vienna? Were you there too?" Amora taunted, and Kayla's eyes flicked out into the crowd to meet her father's. She remembered standing feet away, pretending to be someone else. She remembered shielding her father and dragging him to safety. But she had nothing to do with the bombing. She had nothing to do with Zemo.

"I was there. I accompanied Natasha Romanoff to sign the Sokovia Accords." Kayla answered, looking back to Amora slowly. "I was in the chambers when the bomb went off. I saved my father's life."

"And after it was revealed that James Buchannan Barnes, the Winter Soldier, was responsible, did you aid him in his escape?"

"I kinda just went along for the ride. I don't think I helped so much." Kayla answered playfully as she bopped her head back and forth. "And yes, I was at the airport, and yes, I was on the Raft, and yes I broke out of the Raft to help Steve Rogers stop an army of super soldiers from taking over the world. But that wasn't the case. It was Helmut Zemo who orchestrated the bombings in an attempt to tear apart the Avengers. It worked." Kayla finished sadly, swallowing as she stared at her little band of supporters.

"Where were you for all that time? After the Accords? You broke out of a maximum security federal prison." Amora asked, tapping the remote control she held against her palm as she shifted her weight.

"I spent a lot of time in Wakanda. With the King. I got married there. After that... we traveled. We made the world a better place. We stole back Chitauri weapons and Ultron tech. We worked hard. After a while, I went back to Wakanda where I remained until Steve and the others returned. Before Thanos." Kayla responded slowly, meeting Amora's green eyes as she tilted her head. "Do you have any questions about what happened next?"

"No," Amora retorted with a smirk, ignoring Kayla's hostility, "No, I think we understand what Thanos achieved quite well. But I do have questions about this." Amora clicked her remote, and another photo showed up on the screen. An elderly woman with gray hair pulled into a bun and a bullet hole in her chest appeared in front of the court. Loud rumblings erupted from the jury and audience, staring at the photo in terror. Kayla gulped as she saw the photo, remembering the moment she pulled the trigger on the old German woman. Amora gauged Kayla's reaction to the photo before continuing, "You recognize her?"

"I do." Kayla answered quietly, never taking her eyes off of the lady. She hadn't stuck around to stare at the crime scene she'd left. She only thought of Steve. She only ever thought of Steve.

"Did you kill her?" Amora asked slowly, lowering her head as she looked up at Kayla.

Kayla opened her mouth to answer, a low stutter emerging before gasping, "Yes."

"And her?" Amora clicked the remote again, pulling up a photo of a dark-haired woman on a metal platform with a bullet hole in her skull. Kayla shifted her jaw right to left anxiously as she stared at the photo, but this time she couldn't speak, she only nodded. Amora smiled slyly at Kayla, clicking the power button and sending the photo away, "You shot her in Thailand. Correct."

"Yes. She was going to kill Steve."

"And the woman in Argentina?"

"She was going to kill Steve..." Kayla croaked, feeling her throat tighten at her words. She looked desperately to Amora. "I had to save my husband."

"Where is your husband now, Miss Ellis?" Amora questioned, setting the remote down. Kayla zeroed in on the click of the plastic on wood, not wanting to answer the question.

"Mrs. Rogers" Kayla corrected quietly, staring at the remote with wide green eyes. "I don't know where my husband is."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"At the Gala. The night the Red Skull killed all those people." Kayla admitted, finally looking up with sad eyes, "He was with me when Schmidt arrived."

"But he left you?" Amora asked, turning to look at the court before looking to Kayla again, waiting for the answer.

Kayla nodded a little, the memory beginning to play in her mind, "I told him to go. I had to protect him. I have to protect him."

"Has he come to see you since then?"

"No, I already said that." Kayla reiterated shortly, eyes glowering at the prosecutor.

Amora shrugged, "I just think it's strange that after everything you've done for him. After everything you've _sacrificed_ for him, that he'd leave you alone in jail. Are you sure he's alive?"

Kayla's jaw quivered furiously at the woman's words, "No. I'm not sure he's alive, for all I know he's dead. But I regret nothing. I'd do it all again, exactly the same. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him."

"You'd kill for him?" Amora asked, complete shock written on her face as the rumbles began again around her. The lawyer looked to her council seated at the table across from the judge, and a slim man smiled and nodded triumphantly, happy with what he'd heard.

Kayla's green eyes burned angrily, but she smiled deviously, seeing her future fade away before her, "If I had to."

Amora smiled wickedly, nodding to herself, "No further questions your honor."


	16. Chapter 16

Kayla's defense tried his hardest to show Kayla in a better light, but the truth was the truth. Kayla was a wanted criminal and murderer. And honestly, she didn't really care what happened to her now. She didn't know where Steve was, or if he was even still alive. Hell, she didn't even know where Natasha had taken James. She saved these people, over and over again, and when she stood trial, she stood without them.

So when Amora gave her final statements, Kayla sat dejectedly, accepting the woman's words as fact, even if it meant terrible things for her.

Amora turned to face the jury, pushing a stray hair behind her ear, "I think we can all agree on one thing, Kayla Ellis didn't kill anybody at the Summit Gala three weeks ago. She was a victim who suffered a loss, just like many others. The difference is that she's been running from consequences for a long time. She's hurt people. She's killed people. Kayla Ellis has created something that could change the world, or destroy it. She's too powerful, and she's been living unchecked for eleven years. We cannot condemn her for the deaths of the forty-two people lost in December, but we now see that she's a danger to us all. The Red Skull is out there and he'll come for her again. Whether or not her husband is alive, _she _will draw him back, and we will pay the price. As long as Kayla Ellis is alive, we can't know for sure that we are safe."

The silence that fell over the court was terrifying to Kayla. She stared ahead, realizing what the prosecution was insinuating. She didn't want to put her in jail. She wanted her dead.

The judge ended the session, and the jury filed out to deliberate about Kayla's fate. The guards came and escorted Kayla out of the room, past her parents and Bucky, Sam, Wanda, and Bruce. The Avengers stared at her sadly, not believing what was unfolding before them.

"Where is Steve?" Wanda snarled at Sam and Bucky after Kayla passed, her eyes glowing an angry red, "How can he ignore this?"

"We haven't seen or heard from Steve since the night of the gala. He never came home that night." Sam explained quietly, looking around to make sure nobody was listening, "He could be-"

"No. Don't say that." Bucky cut Sam off, his jaw tight, "Steve can't be dead."

"He'd never leave Kayla in prison. We might have to consider that he's gone, Barnes." Sam told his partner sadly, hanging his head as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. "We'll bail her out. We'll find a way, we'll break her out if that's what it takes."

"You're Captain America now, Sam. You can't break her out of jail. Let the system run its course." Mathew Ellis scolded as he pat Sam firmly on the back, "We'll figure it out. Don't give up hope yet." Mathew pulled Sandra closer into his side, but the older blonde woman had a deep-set frown that wouldn't melt away. Wanda mirrored her expression, looking at the door where Kayla had come from. No one had heard from Natasha or Steve, and Kayla was on trial for murder. Something was very, very wrong.

* * *

Several hours later, the guards brought Kayla back into the courtroom as the jury filed back into their places. Kayla's head hung sadly, her fiery spirit broken. She was seated next to her lawyer at the table across the aisle from Amora and her team. Amora looked cocky as she leaned back in her chair, smoothing back her hair as she looked at the judge with a smug smile. Kayla looked sadly at the jury, and they looked terrified and guilty and Kayla could feel in the pit of her stomach that her whole life was about to be destroyed.

The speaker for the jury stood and faced the judge, his face pale as he shook, "This was a hard decision. Kayla Ellis was loved and admired. She has so much potential to make the world a better place, however, she also has proven to be impulsive and dangerous. As a jury, we have found that the collective good of the general population has to come first. After everything we now know, about what's out there, we can't take any risks. So we have found Kayla Ellis guilty, and we want her put to death. It was hard, but we can't risk her putting everyone else in danger."

Kayla's jaw dropped at the verdict, looking at her baffled lawyer. She leaned over, staring at Amora and finding the woman twisting her fingers toward the jury. She saw Kayla and winked, and beyond her, the thin man melted away for a moment, and Kayla saw Johann Schmidt smiling back at her. She opened her mouth to cry out, but Amora snatched her voice, keeping her from tattling on the Enchantress and the Red Skull. Kayla grabbed her throat and looked back to the jury desperately, realizing there was no hope of saving her now.

_This isn't how the legal system is supposed to work... they are being controlled... I'm becoming a martyr. _

Mathew jumped to his feet and began yelling at the judge, as others in the courtroom began to talk loudly, causing the chaos to rise and rise as the judge pounded his gavel. Kayla stared ahead of her, seeing all hope die. Just like she would. The Red Skull would have his revenge. If Steve was alive out there somewhere, he'd see her put to death. If Steve was already buried, then she'd join him soon enough.

"Wait!" Kayla's lawyer cried out, and everyone fell silent, turning to the blonde and her defense. She shook violently as the man tried to form his words carefully, one last-ditch effort to save his client, "She's pregnant. What happens to the baby?"

The judge looked at the girl thoughtfully, "Once you give birth, then you'll be executed. Until then, you'll stay incarcerated." The judge pounded his gavel and the guards lifted Kayla from her seat, guiding her out of the courtroom past all the people who yelled over each other. She turned to her right, seeing the thin man as Schmidt again as Amora appeared in a green dress with a green headband before they both melted into their disguises again. She couldn't warn anybody. She couldn't speak out.

Kayla had reached the end of the line, and she'd live out her last three months alone in a prison cell.

* * *

Once Kayla was deposited back into her cell, and the metal bars slammed closed, she began to weep openly as she sat on her cot. She wiped her tears away on the sleeve of her orange jumpsuit, staring at the wall before her as the tears flowed freely from her eyes. She pressed her left hand to her chest and her right hand to her stomach, wanting, praying to feel something there. But the baby didn't move. Was the baby even alive?

Did she barter three more months of life just to deliver a child that wouldn't survive?

_This is it. This is the price I pay for living an enchanted life. I've lost everything... everyone... I've lost- everyone..._

Kayla laid on her back, letting her long blonde hair fall behind her as she stared up at the ceiling, not bothering to wipe the tears away now. Let them fall, it didn't matter anymore. She tried to remember the good times. She tried to remember before the Soul Stone, before the snap, before the Accords. Had all those years been that bad? Had there been any good times amongst the chaos?

Of course there were. There was Steve.

Kayla could imagine Steve in her mind's eye, his glistening blue eyes, his strong jaw. The way he always placed his hands on his hips, and his laugh. Oh his laugh, she'd miss that the most, only after his kisses. Kayla realized she'd never kiss Steve Rogers in this lifetime again. That was the true tragedy of Kayla's verdict, she'd never know whether or not Steve died first, or if she did.

She spent the next three months like that, staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment of the past eleven years. All the good, all the bad, all the Steve. Until finally, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, and she knew it was time.

The baby was coming.

Kayla cried out loudly as the pain continued to grow, and she realized she was going to give birth to her child in a prison. A female guard collected her and moved her into the medical wing of the hospital, setting her up in a white bed. Kayla could have sworn she was in a real hospital, and for the first time in three months, she felt like a real person again. She just wished that her family was there. She wished her mom was there, that Steve and Natasha and Wanda were there. She wished Tiffany was there, but that wasn't possible. Tiffany was dead, because of her.

The pain was the worst thing Kayla had felt since she'd taken the anti-serum for Steve. Her whole body rocked with pain as the contractions grew stronger. For hours she cried and clenched the side of the bed, and the brunette nurse urged her to breathe. The nurse was sweet to Kayla, but it didn't matter, she couldn't replace Kayla's family.

"Come on Kayla, push, the baby's coming!" The brunette called as she pulled gloves on, placing a mask over her mouth as she leaned down to deliver the baby girl.

Kayla shook her head violently, tears streaming down her face, "I can't! I can't do this alone. It hurts... it hurts so bad." She whimpered as another contraction shuttered through her body, and Kayla winced as she threw her head back into the pillow. "I can't do this without my husband. I want my husband, I want Steve." She sobbed quietly, her body quaking from the pain as she sweat profusely. She never gave birth to James, and suddenly she couldn't help but feel slightly thankful for that. At least with James, she would have had super-soldier serum keeping her pain tolerance up.

The nurse swallowed as Kayla groaned loudly, her legs quivering as she prepared to push, "Come on Kay, one big push, you got this."

Kayla lifted her head to the nurse, thinking she was imagining the words that came from her mouth. Only her family called her Kay. "What?"

"Push!" The nurse yelled and Kayla did as she was told, leaning forward as she gave a big push, screaming out as she did. After a moment, Kayla felt the release, and she fell back into the bed, crying softly. She did it, but she couldn't look. Kayla slammed her eyes closed, gasping for air as she ignored the silence that hung over the room, reminding her of what she had done to her child on Vormir.

But then the baby cried.

_What? No... no, she shouldn't be crying... she's alive. She's okay._

"Is she okay? Is she... wait... where are you taking her? She's mine, please, please bring her back! Please!" Kayla called out desperately as she realized the nurse had scurried off, carrying the newborn out of the room. Kayla began to cry harder, realizing her child would live her life without knowing her parents. She didn't deserve that life. James wouldn't know his parents either. Perhaps they'd never even know each other. "Please!" Kayla screamed loudly as several guards came into the room, trying to restrain the inconsolable woman. After a few minutes of screaming and struggling, a doctor gave Kayla a shot in the arm, and she fell deep into sleep.

**_Author's Notes: _**

_**Guest-** I'm glad I could blow you away! I just really love these characters and this story, so I'm glad you enjoy it!_

**_Siobhan-_**_ I also cried over Tiffany. I had a lot of doubt and I almost went back and changed it so many times, but it's so important moving forward. I'm glad that the readers have grown to care about her and her relationship with Kayla and Sam and the others. Things are getting much much worse for Kayla, obviously, but luckily this story will go on with or without Kayla Ellis, because her son and daughter are out there somewhere..._


	17. Chapter 17

_**Author's Notes: I don't actually know how prison and execution work. Please read with a grain of salt, this is for the story, not for accuracy. **_

_**amberhardy: **This chapter better shows how they are reacting to the events unfolding, and you'll start to see some unraveling. Don't give up on me yet. I'll make it worth your while..._

**_Siobhan:_**_ We'll find out what happened to Steve in the next chapter. But for now, stay with me, don't give up on the story yet... _

It took seven days after Kayla's daughter was born to arrange her execution. On the morning of March 4, the door to her solitary confinement prison cell opened, and the same brunette nurse from the delivery room was there with clothes in her hands. Kayla jumped up from her bed when she recognized the woman, crossing the room to greet the nurse, "My daughter? Where is she? Where did she end up? Are my parents taking her?"

The brunette's eyes held little emotion as she studied the prisoner before her, holding out the sleeveless white undershirt and grey short-sleeved shirt and matching trousers, "She didn't make it."

Kayla stepped back quickly, reeling from the information. "What?"

"The baby. She passed away shortly after birth. We were still doing initial examinations when she went."

Kayla's breath was snatched from her chest, and she allowed herself to fall back onto her cot, staring at the blank wall ahead of her. "She didn't make it."

"No. I'm sorry for your loss." The nurse answered bluntly, setting the clothes down on the bed beside Kayla. "I've been instructed to wait with you while you get dressed. I'm also supposed to advise you to have any and all last-minute statements prepared."

Kayla nodded, knowing she'd already prepared everything she needed to in the seven days she sat alone and waited for death. She had nothing to leave this world. No belongings, no wealth. Only her reputation and a formula that was better off dead with her. Except that was selfish. Her formula was more than re-creating Captain America. She could change the world. If only she'd be given the chance. "Can you make sure something gets to Doctor Banner for me?" Kayla asked meekly, and the nurse nodded slowly as Kayla scooped down and collected a dirty envelope from under the bed. "This is for Doctor Banner, and him alone, do you understand?" Kayla warned, looking up at the mousy nurse with cautioning eyes.

"I'll have someone deliver it now." The nurse answered quickly, pulling a radio from her belt and calling for someone to retrieve the letter. A small blonde woman appeared in the doorway, and the nurse handed off the envelope, and Kayla prayed that it would find its destination. For everyone's sake. The nurse turned back to Kayla, and her impatience was clear as day on her face, "Now get dressed. You'll be picked up for final goodbyes in about twenty minutes."

Kayla changed in front of the woman, feeling only the slightest bit self-conscious for being almost naked in front of the nurse. Her ribs were showing through her stomach, a terrible thing to see from someone who'd given birth only a week earlier. But Kayla hadn't been eating since. What was the point? Her once toned arms were stick-thin, and her neck was taut as she swallowed hard, trying to mentally prepare herself for death. It wasn't like running into battle, where the adrenaline and need to win overtook the fear. This was just... inevitable.

The nurse watched as Kayla pulled the white tank-top over her thin shoulders, then looked down and realized it was backwards before turning it around. Then Kayla pulled on the grey overshirt, buttoning it up before pulling up the matching pants. As she tucked the shirt into the elastic, she turned to the nurse and sneered, "How do I look?"

"Like a socialite about to be put down." The nurse answered coldly, and Kayla shook at her cruel words. Once dressed, the nurse opened the door and two guards handcuffed Kayla, and the three led her down the hallway to the execution room.

Kayla saw the soundproof room before they even opened the door. It looked ominous, and she balked as they approached, but she had no super-strength now. There was no fighting her way out of her fate. Still, in the very back of her mind, she imagined Steve swooping in and saving her. She looked around, trying to recognize somebody, anybody around her. But she was very much alone.

"Kayla!" Sandra cried out as they turned a corner into a room, and Sandra and Mathew rose quickly from their chairs when their daughter was brought in. Sandra encased her daughter in a hug as Kayla wept against her mother's chest. Her father put his arms around them both and held them tightly as he choked back his own tears. Sandra lifted Kayla's chin, seeing the defeat in her daughter's eyes, "Kayla, I-"

"It's okay mom." Kayla cried softly, swallowing her tears, "Steve's gone. The baby's gone. James... is somewhere. He's with Nat and I know she'll be such a great mom. But- but I'm ready to go... I can't watch anyone else die because of me." Mathew grabbed her a little tighter as Kayla hung her head and plowed back into her mother's chest. Secret Servicemen surrounded the family, offering them one last moment alone. After a few minutes, Kayla lifted her head and saw Wanda standing behind her parents. "Wanda..."

"I should have broken you out when I had the chance-"

"No, no then you'd be a criminal, I don't want that. You've been cleared of any charges, let it be." Kayla fought back, and Wanda responded by throwing her arms around Kayla. She twitched her fingers, and Kayla felt a wave of peace fall over her. One last gift from the Scarlet Witch.

"You are the bravest woman I know." Wanda whimpered, pulling away from her blonde friend, "You are the only friend I have left."

"You'll be okay. You're a survivor." Kayla smiled weakly, and the guards pulled her away, causing Sandra to scream and lunge toward her daughter, but their secret servicemen held her back and Kayla was taken away. "I love you, Mom. Dad-" Kayla was yanked through the door and taken away to the terrifying soundproof room where she couldn't hear her mother's wails.

Once inside, the door slammed shut and Kayla looked around in terror. This was the last place she'd ever see. "Sit down." A gruff man ordered, and Kayla pulled against her chains as she was drug to a large chair at the edge of the room.

"Wait, just a minute."

Kayla looked up and saw Sam and Bucky standing by the door. Sam wore his Captain America uniform, but his cowl was off, not allowing Kayla to trick herself into believing her Steve had turned up. "Sam! Sam- what are you guys doing here?" Kayla cried as the soldier crossed the room and enveloped her in his arms. "Sam, I'm going to die-"

"I know Kay. I know you are." Sam answered sadly, and Kayla realized they weren't there to get her out. They were there to see her off. She pulled away, looking at her friend in terror. He saw her thoughts and continued, "We did everything we could, Kay. We looked everywhere. We can't find him. He never came home. We didn't-" Sam looked to Bucky, who just stared at the floor, his long hair falling around his dark face, "We didn't want you to be alone in the end."

Kayla let out a sob and was pulled back into the chair, where large metal cuffs held her down. She looked at her wrists as she began to panic, realizing the end was near, "No, no I don't wanna die, please Sam- Sam, Bucky, please do something! Please!"

Sam shook his head at her shrieking as the gruff doctor pulled a mask over his face and opened up a latched box, pulling a vial out. When Kayla saw it, she began to squirm, yelling out through her tears. Sam backed away, grabbing the shield, "I can't watch this, I can't-"

"No. We aren't leaving her." Bucky grabbed Sam's arm and held him tight, staring ahead as the man approached Kayla with the vial. "Steve wouldn't want her to die alone. We owe him that!"

"Steve wouldn't have wanted her to die at all. We failed Barnes." Sam howled and the doctor snapped his head up toward the men.

"Shut it or leave." He warned, and Kayla stared at the glistening needle, whimpering wildly as she hyperventilated, trying to pull herself away, but there was nowhere to go. She was about to be euthanized like a wild animal, and she couldn't control herself enough to stop acting like one. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders as she shook violently, but the man shoved the needle into her left arm nonetheless.

As he injected her, she felt the liquid fill her veins, and it felt like they were lighting her on fire. It spread through her, shutting her down, but not before putting her through hell. "Please!" She wailed, her green eyes rimmed red as she felt the liquid burn in her chest, "Please..."

Kayla Dawn Ellis thought she'd experienced pain. The anti-serum caused her pain. Waking up after having a building dropped on her caused her pain. Thinking Steve died caused her pain... watching Steve die in Wakanda caused her indescribable pain. Having her child carved out of her caused her pain and holding her dead best friend's body caused her pain. But nothing compared to the poison that now inhabited her body.

But it wasn't fast enough. Everything hurt so bad. She lifted her head, feeling dizzy as her eyes struggled to focus. They fell on Sam and Bucky at the back of the room, and when her eyes met Bucky's he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed a gun from one of the guards and Kayla's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen.

He pulled the trigger before Sam could stop him and embedded a bullet in Kayla's heart.

The blonde's head slumped to the side as she went limp, blood beginning to spread from the bullet hole in the left side of her chest. Her color drained as the doctor looked up to see the assassin shove the gun back into the hands of the guard. The doctor placed two fingers to her neck and felt no pulse. "Time of death, 9:24 am."

Sam stared at Barnes as the doors were held open for the men, and the guards ushered them out so the body could be disposed of. Once outside the room, the men saw Kayla's parents sobbing uncontrollably as Wanda watched, her own eyes red as tears ran down her face. As Bucky took a step toward them, Sam grabbed him by the arm, "What the hell was that back there?"

"She was suffering. It's what Steve would have wanted." Bucky answered quietly as if he was trying to convince himself of that. The truth was, he just couldn't bear to watch the beautiful blonde crying, knowing there was no escaping her fate. Bucky looked back toward her family, and they saw him, and he couldn't face their tear-stained cheeks. The Winter Soldier didn't make a habit of facing his victim's families. "I gotta go."

Before Sam could protest, Bucky stormed away, pushing past the swinging doors of the hospital wing of the prison to leave Kayla Ellis and all the trouble she caused behind him. Sam Wilson watched Barnes go before his shoulder's slumped and he trudged toward the area where the Ellis family waited. When he arrived, the secret servicemen closed the doors behind him, and he stood silently with the shield on his left arm. Mathew Ellis stared at that shield, blaming it for the loss of his daughter. Sandra just looked to Sam, wanting him to say something comforting about her daughter's end, but he offered no words. He just stood there silently, his own head hung as he stared at the floor with blank eyes. Wanda twitched her fingers, red smoke entering Sam's mind. Her curiosity got the better of her, and she had the ability to see her friend's end without asking Sam to describe it. What she saw made her cry out in anguish, and Sam slung his right arm over her shoulder, pulling her tight into his chest. This only set off Sandra again and the woman began to cry as her husband stood with his jaw set.

"Captain." The former President finally said, causing Sam and Wanda to look up at him. The title caused Sam to stiffen, but he forced a confident expression as he nodded for the man to continue, "I expect you'll be able to find Natasha Romanoff and my grandson. He's all I have left of my daughter and I'd like to know he's safe."

"I'll do my best sir," Sam answered quietly, knowing if anyone could disappear it was Nat. He just hoped that he knew her well enough to track her and the child down. "She won't want to be found, I'm sure she thinks she's doing what's best for him."

"He's our flesh and blood, and we'd like to take custody of him. We are his only living relatives." Mathew replied slowly, his mind already made up.

Sam gave a firm nod, latching the shield onto his back as he extended his hand to Mathew, "You have my word, we'll do everything we can. I just don't want to make a promise I can't keep."

"No, I suppose you shouldn't," Mathew answered, offering a hand to his wife, "Come on darling. There's nothing left to do here."

"What about the body? Don't we get to bury her?" Sandra asked, but one of the prison employees who were present shook his head.

"No ma'am. I'm afraid not." He answered simply, gesturing toward the door, "I got the call a few minutes ago that it's already been taken to the morgue by the doctors."

Sandra continued to cry as Mathew held her close, walking slowly behind Sam who led them through the prison. His heavy boots echoed down the empty halls as the only sound was Sandra's crying and the occasional sniffle from Wanda Maximoff. Sam felt the weight of the world press down on him as they were escorted out of the prison, where news reporters waited, trying to snap photos of the mourning family and Avengers.

Kayla Ellis was dead.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Author's Notes: I love to answer all your comments individually, but I don't want to give anything away (which I can't, this chapter is SO IMPORTANT!) Huge thanks to amberhardy, Tori, PeriAce, Siobhan, CurlyOne, and Dutchy for reviewing! I promise I'll answer all the reviews individually following this chapter! Thank you for reading, reviewing and favoriting. I love you all! **_

On the morning of Tuesday, March 5, 2024, every newspaper across the country had the same headline: Kayla Ellis Put to Death.

The sun shone beautifully bright over Manhattan as it rose that morning, greeting a sad and confused city. Had the jury really sentenced the beloved socialite to death? Had a modern day lynch mob burned a metaphorical witch at the stake to save their own souls? As the newspapers flew off the shelves, the city mourned Kayla Ellis, a woman who they thought they loved, but never really knew. And with her death came the knowledge of something far worse: the death of the Avengers.

With Tony Stark and Steve Rogers both confirmed dead, there was no reason to believe the team was still out there after reversing the decimation. Who would protect the world if another threat came? Sure, they'd eliminated one target to save themselves, but that didn't mean there weren't other targets. Who was to say that Kayla Ellis was the beginning and the end of Red Skull's terror?

Fear spread slower than sadness, but neither could keep up with the gossip as Kayla became a national martyr, a powerful woman who sacrificed wealth and stature for love. While the jury saw her as a criminal and a murderer, the world saw her as a hopeless romantic. Every crime she committed, every trigger she pulled was for the man she loved, a man who was also admired and loved by many. Kayla Dawn Ellis may have been sentenced to death by a mind-controlled jury, but the world saw her death as her last statement of devotion for Captain America, her husband. In life, Kayla Ellis and Captain Rogers were famous. In death, they became legends. Together.

Buddy barked loudly as Bucky opened the door to his Brooklyn apartment, having not come home the night prior. Sam was already awake, cooking breakfast on the stove as Barnes locked the door behind him. "Where were you last night?"

"I needed time to think," Bucky answered quickly, not missing a beat as he already anticipated the question. "I'm sorry for what I did at the prison. It was wrong and impulsive and I shouldn't have done it. I just didn't want to see her suffer anymore."

Sam looked over his shoulder, his back muscles stiff beneath his green running t-shirt, "I get that dude, but we are under a lot of scrutiny too. She didn't just air out her own dirty laundry, she aired out everybody's. I just don't want you to end up in a cell, because I'm not breaking your ass out."

Bucky smiled a little at that, grabbing a piece of sausage off of the plate of cooked food as Sam shot him a dirty look, "You worried about me, Wilson?"

"You're all I've got left, whether I like it or not. You and the dog and Wanda. So, yeah, I guess I'm worried about you."

Bucky opened his arms for a hug, and Sam scrunched his eyebrows and shook his head, "No."

"Bring it in, partner."

"No."

"Steve would have hugged me." Barnes bit back playfully, a real smile on his face as he thought of his friend, but his words only made Sam's face fall even more.

"I may have the shield now, but I'm not Steve. Nobody ever will be." Sam said sadly, flipping over his eggs in the pan. "I just can't believe they're both gone. And the baby girl too. It's just James, wherever he is."

Bucky hung his head, biting at the side of his mouth as he leaned against the counter, squeezing it with his metal and flesh hands, "We'll find James and Nat."

"I know we will. For Steve and Kay."

"For Steve and Kay."

* * *

"Finally, after all of this time. A super-soldier serum that works as designed." Johann Schmidt's heavy accent slurred as Amora the Enchantress handed him the envelope Kayla had meant for Doctor Banner. "Foolish girl. Left her work behind in hopes the green monster could so good with it, but he'd never think as big as we do. With this, I'll rebuild my army and Hydra with it. Take over the world today, and the universe tomorrow. And you'll rule as Empress over every corner of the galaxy."

"I would have settled for Asgard if it hadn't been destroyed in Ragnarok." Amora scoffed, staring at her green nails that matched her headband and dress. "And I doubt your little army will help much out there beyond Midgard, but its the thought that counts, darling." Amora cooed, looking up from her manicure to see the German man carefully opening up the envelope. "Even if nothing comes out of this, it's been fun watching you torment the Avengers."

"Oh, you have too little faith in the power of the Soul Stone, Amora. You see, Erskine's formula required a certain type of man to take the serum, which was always the downfall of Hydra. I can seek out the purest souls and once they've gotten the serum, then I'll blacken their hearts and bring them to Hydra." Red Skull explained, unfolding the piece of paper with the formula written on it sloppily.

Amora snorted, leaning against the wall as Schmidt began to measure out the chemicals in his lab that Kayla called for, "I could create an army for you, I don't know why you are so determined to get the formula from the girl. You don't need science when you have sorcery."

"On the contrary, your magic isn't permanent, where this serum is. Captain Rogers is over one hundred years old and I doubt that blonde whore would be married to an elderly man. This is the first step, I assure you."

The blonde Asgardian shrugged, looking back at her nails, "Alright, have your fun. My fun will begin when we lure Thor back to Earth. I've waited a long time to face him again."

"In due time. In due time..." Schmidt trailed as he poured a drop of the final ingredient into the vial, and it turned the vibrant blue he remembered from taking Erskine's serum a century ago, "We need a test subject. A human."

Amora opened the door to the laboratory they'd holed themselves up in at the New York Science Center, and waved her hand toward the first man she saw, pulling him toward them as she took over his mind, "Will he do?"

"Anyone will do." Schmidt mumbled, and Amora couldn't help but raise her perfect brow at his words. He needed a good man to be his perfect soldier. No wonder the Nazi had so little luck. Schmidt poured the vial into a syringe and plunged it into the man's arm roughly. He waited impatiently, but the man didn't cry out, he didn't quiver, he didn't shake.

Nothing happened.

Schmidt stabbed himself with the syringe next as Amora flinched, wondering what horrors awaited her if her companion had even more super-soldier serum. "It's not working."

"What? What do you mean it's not working. The girl left this for Doctor Banner, it's clearly the serum-"

"It's nothing but a placebo. It does... nothing." Schmidt growled, reaching toward the formula again. He picked it up and turned it over, seeing nothing on the back. No hints, no clues.

Kayla Ellis had tricked them. She hadn't left her work for Doctor Banner because she couldn't trust anybody. Not even her friends. Not even her heroes.

Amora bent down as Schmidt began to turn beet red from anger, clenching the metal table with his strong, bony finger. She picked up a small index card and handed it to the Red Skull, who was beginning to live up to his namesake once again, "She played us."

Schmidt looked at the card and snarled as he read the scrawling, cursive handwriting before letting the card fall back to the ground.

_The dead must keep their secrets-_

_Kayla Dawn Rogers_

Before leaving the lab, Schmidt lit a match and threw it onto the table, setting the formula, the note, and the whole room ablaze.

* * *

The sunlight broke through the tinted windows of the grey Chevy pickup as it cruised down the highway. The sound of the engine beneath the soft country music wafting from the radio put the driver at peace as he continued on his journey. As he turned the truck, the sunlight shifted and struck the face of the woman unconscious next to him. She scrunched her eyes closed, moaning softly as she turned her face to the window. She opened her eyes just a little, seeing strands of deep auburn hair against the glass. Her hand felt heavy as she lifted it, trying to touch the hair. After giving it a gentle tug, she realized it was connected to her scalp.

_Is this Hell? There's no way it's Heaven because everything hurts so bad... have I been reincarnated?_

Kayla moaned as she pushed her eyelids closed, curling into the pickup door to avoid whatever awaited her in consciousness- or, whatever this was she was experiencing. She felt like she was in a different body, in an unfamiliar place. She was sure she'd died, but if she wasn't dead, Kayla wished she was.

"Hey, baby." A soft, familiar voice cooed from the driver's seat, and Kayla turned slowly, fluttering her eyes back open to look at the clean-shaven man beside her. Perhaps she wasn't in Hell after all, because there's no way Steve Rogers would end up there. "You're awake." He added softly, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at his wife.

"Steve... no... I'm dead..." Kayla mumbled, closing her eyes again. She didn't want to be teased. Steve wasn't here. Or maybe he was. Maybe they were dead together. "You're dead."

"No, none of us are dead. We are all very much alive Kay." Steve corrected slowly, reaching his right hand over to rest it on her thigh, giving it a gentle squeeze so she could feel him. "I'm gonna pull over at the rest stop up ahead, I think you could use some air."

"Bucky shot me. I remember, he shot me right here." Kayla pointed to the spot below her collarbone, and looked down lazily, catching a glimpse of the dark bruise that was forming. At the sight she straightened up a little, looking closer at the round mark with three little prong marks inside of it. "Steve? Steve- he shot me. I had the lethal injection, there's no way I could survive that-"

Steve smiled a little as Kayla stared down at her chest, pulling the thin white tank top away from her. He signaled as he swerved easily onto the off-ramp, driving them to the rest stop half a mile away. "Look in the backseat Kay."

Kayla leaned over and came face to face with Zawadi, who pulled hard against his seat belt harness as he tried to reach his mom. She reached for the dog with her right hand, scratching his snout as he tried desperately to lick at her. Then Kayla looked to the right of the dog and saw her son buckled into a car seat behind his father. "James! Oh, my baby." She whimpered, stretching beyond the dog to stroke the child's face. He slept soundly, even at her touch, and she began to cry a little. "This can't be real. I can't be alive right now..."

"It's real, Kay." Steve assured the woman, parking the truck and popping open his car door to hop out, closing it quietly so as not to wake their son. Zawadi panted against Kayla's arm as she stroked James's face, willing herself to believe she was alive. That Steve was alive, that they were together again. She looked out the window to see Steve pass her door and open the passenger door in the backseat. Kayla twisted in her seat belt and struggled to look over the headrest, but when she did, her breath was snatched out of her chest. Steve began to unbuckle the very tiny, very alive baby girl in the car seat behind Kayla. As his large fingers went to work unstrapping the child, Kayla's jaw began to quiver, knowing now for sure she must be dead and buried. There was no Earthly reality in which she could be so fortunate. Steve looked up and met Kayla's confused eyes, smiling knowingly as the little girl grabbed onto his pinky finger. "You want to hold her?"

"The nurse said she was dead."

"I know. That's so she could steal her away and bring her back to me." Steve answered, carefully scooping up the tiny baby and cradling her in his arms as he closed the pickup door with his broad shoulder. Kayla pushed open her own door and unbuckled her seat belt to prepare to receive the infant.

"Is she... okay?" Kayla asked nervously as Steve placed the child into Kayla's arms. She opened her eyes and looked up at Kayla, and Kay could see she had her father's baby blues and his beaming smile. "She doesn't seem to have any cranial damage."

"Nat said the doctors found no cranial damage. She's very small and weak. But the doctors found no damage to her mind. Nat was able to fake the baby's death and steal her away so I could watch her." Steve looked at the child lovingly as Kayla held her daughter to her chest, feeling the little person cough a bit, "I wanted to wait for you to name her, but I felt bad not calling her anything all week. I- I started calling her Sarah. I hope that's okay."

Kayla beamed at the child, then looked over her shoulder to find James still fast asleep, "Sarah is perfect." She answered quietly as she turned her head back to look at the baby, "She's so small."

"I know. But she's perfect. They both are. He's been missing you though. He's going to be so excited when he wakes up and sees you are back." Steve told Kayla proudly as she rocked back and forth. Sarah's eyelids grew heavy and eventually dropped, and the soft sound of snoring came from her lungs.

"Steve, I was dead."

Steve placed his large hand against Kayla's cheek and she leaned into him, trying to understand where she was. Steve stroked her face lovingly as he studied her features, "It was a team effort."

"You saved my life?" Kayla asked, finally finding her chest winding down from the anxiety of the situation. She was finally accepting it wasn't all a dream. She prayed that she wasn't about to wake up.

"I told you, you aren't dead." Steve chuckled quietly, careful not to wake their sleeping children. "Let's buckle her back in, I'll explain on the way."

"Where are we going?" Kayla whispered, never taking her eyes off the little girl in her arms. Steve pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before taking his daughter, who fit easily in just one of his hands. Kayla propped herself up on her knees and watched as Steve put the little belts across Sarah, making sure she was safe and secure for their drive. "Where are we going?" Kayla repeated as Steve quietly closed the rear passenger door before going around the back of the truck and entering his side.

"You'll see when we get there. We've got some time still." He replied, turning down the music even more so they could talk. He threw the truck into reverse as Kayla fastened her seatbelt and backed out of the spot, taking his family back onto the highway.

Kayla studied her husband, alarmed by how calm he acted. It was his serenity that made her doubt her existence. At any moment she'd wake up. Or maybe she wouldn't. Maybe this was Heaven after all. Either way, she hoped it would never end. She leaned back into the seat, resting her head back as she closed her eyes. She pressed two fingers to the spot on her chest where the bullet-shaped bruise was forming, feeling a dull ache there as the rest of the pain began to subside. "So Bucky did shoot me."

"He did. He was the only person I trusted to hit the right spot." Steve answered, never taking his blue eyes off the road.

Kayla nodded, understanding that, "How did I survive the lethal injection?"

"It wasn't lethal injection. It was super-soldier serum. Natasha got Tony into the prison. He impersonated the doctor so he could switch out the poison with the serum."

Kayla turned her head to look at Steve with wide green eyes, stammering as she tried to catch her breath, "T-Tony? Tony Stark? Tony's alive?"

Steve smirked, holding back a scoff, "I know you shot him with the super-soldier serum during the battle with Thanos. Tony reached out to me a few months ago- looking for you. I asked if he'd help me pull this off, especially with you sending the formula to Pepper."

"How did you know I sent Pepper the formula instead of Bruce?" Kayla mumbled, turning back to face forward as she stared at the road ahead, trying to wrap her mind around what Steve had just told her.

_Tony is alive. I saved him. I saved his life._

"I didn't. He called me when Pepper received the letter from Wanda. Nat said you left something for Banner, though. I'm assuming the formula you left for Bruce was fake?"

"Yeah. I knew there were outside forces at work at the trial. I didn't trust that Bruce would get it- but I left him a riddle to find out who did have it." Kayla's lips tugged up into a small smile.

"Good, because Bruce never got it. Bucky reached out to Bruce, and Banner never got your letter. Whoever intercepted it thinks the serum died with you, which is what we hoped." Steve said quietly, turning to see Kayla breathing deeply. "I'm sorry we didn't loop you in."

"Why didn't you?" Kayla grumbled, forcing her eyes closed just a little more. "You let me rot in jail for three months. You let me give birth to our daughter alone."

"You weren't alone. Nat was there. She managed to commandeer some of those SHIELD masks to infiltrate the prison hospital." Steve defended, trying to make his wife realize he hadn't completely abandoned her.

Kayla sighed deeply, getting used to breathing so easily again, "You still could have told me. I thought you were dead."

"That was the point, Kay," Steve explained darkly, turning to her again as she opened her eyes, "If you truly believed I was dead, Red Skull would too. I needed you to think I was really gone so you would sell it. It killed me to leave you for so long."

Kayla didn't answer at first. She wasn't sure if she was ready to forgive Steve for leaving her alone in a prison cell for all those months, just so he could play her and use her devastation to sell his own death. But the result was as desired, and now they were both ghosts on the run. "So Natasha delivered Sarah."

"Yeah. She took her, got her checked out, then kept her hidden away to convince the other doctors that the baby had passed away. She brought Sarah home to me, then doubled back a week later to prepare you for execution." Steve swallowed hard, imagining how scared Kayla must have been. When he saw Bucky after her "death", the Winter Soldier was visibly shaken by what he'd experienced, even if he knew she was going to survive. Steve continued his explanation as Kayla sat quietly, staring at the road as it passed by. The trees were bare, and the ground was cold. Winter was just fading into Spring, and the world wasn't quite awake just yet.

"Nat brought you the clothes. She contacted Shuri months earlier, requesting she make vibranium undershirts. She didn't elaborate on why or who they were for. We didn't want to loop in Shuri and T'Challa, because then they could be incriminated. We kept the circle small. Natasha made sure you had the vibranium undershirt. Tony installed a chip full of Tetrodotoxin B above the chest. When hit, it would inject the serum into your heart and slow your pulse to one beat per minute. That would be enough for them to make the call that you were dead."

"And you needed a way to hit the chip so it would release the toxins." Kayla supplied quietly, placing her fingers to the bruise.

Steve nodded, looking at a road sign as he continued driving, "That's where we needed Buck. It made sense, and I knew he wouldn't miss."

"Does Sam know?" Kayla asked, remembering the way Sam had accepted her death so easily.

Steve didn't look at her as he answered softly, "No."

So Sam really believed that Kayla was about to die, and accepted it as truth. Perhaps she deserved that. She'd taken everything from Sam Wilson, albeit inadvertently. "So the vibranium was to withstand the weight of the bullet to inject the Tetrodotoxin B. So there's just one question left."

Steve's eyebrow flew up, and he didn't voice his confusion. He just looked to her briefly before looking back at the road, moving swiftly around a slower little car.

"Why the super soldier serum?"

Steve smiled a little, lowering his jaw before he spoke, "We had faith that the vibranium would keep the bullet from going through you, but the impact would still cause a lot of damage. We didn't know if it would be too much. We also knew they would administer lethal injection, and if they did that, you'd be dead long before we could find a way to reverse the damage. Since Tony had your formula, it made sense. He offered to go in himself in disguise since Nat and I couldn't risk being in the room. He gave you the serum instead of the poison, keeping up appearances until the very end. Bucky said he called your time of death. We couldn't figure another way out Kay."

Kayla offered his husband a sad smile, "It's okay Steve. Thank you, for saving my life. But more importantly, thank you for still being alive."

"That's not more important." Steve chuckled, looking over to meet Kayla's sparkling green eyes, "You like the new ride?"

"I do, it suits you." Kayla answered with a sigh, leaning back into the plush leather car seat, "It's not very subtle though."

"It's subtle enough," Steve argued, settling his hand on Kayla's knee to give it a gentle squeeze. "We're starting over."

"You don't think people will recognize us?" Kayla scoffed, flipping down the mirror and quickly remembering the auburn color of her hair. "You dyed my hair?"

"Natasha dyed your hair, I supervised. I hope you don't mind. We needed to make you less recognizable to get you out of town. Tony made new passports and licenses. I figured if he could figure out time travel he could hack into the government systems and make sure we were legit. I didn't pick the names though." Steve gestured toward the glove compartment with his chin and Kayla opened it, pulling out two passports, one for Steve and one for her. She opened her's up and a license was paperclipped inside, a photoshopped version of her with the long auburn hair she now sported.

"Kathryn Maria Carter?"

"I said I didn't pick the names," Steve answered with a shrug. "I think he named you Kathryn so I could still call you Kay."

"It's better than Steven Howard Carter, that man has no imagination does he?" Kayla laughed loudly, then simmered as Steve shushed her, gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder at the kids, "Sorry." She whispered loudly, putting the passports back into the glove compartment. "Where are we going?"

"Pepper helped me purchase a place in a small town near them. It's far enough away from the city and the compound site that people won't be looking for us. It's not so far away that people would think we have something to run from." Steve answered quietly, "Plus, I didn't want to be too many hours away from Nat and Bucky."

"So this is really happening?" Kayla asked, still in disbelief that she was alive, let alone that she was running off to enjoy a simple life with her husband and children, "We're going to be okay."

"Yeah Kay," Steve told her, grabbing her hand in his and stroking it lovingly with his thumb as he smiled ahead. He pressed the back of her hand to his lips before adding, "We're going to be okay."


	19. Chapter 19

"I want to paint this room."

Steve looked up from changing James's diaper and gave Kayla an exasperated glare, "Why?"

"It's too yellow." She explained, gesturing to the dull yellow walls of the boy's nursery. "It's like sunshine, but sad sunshine. Let's paint it blue, or green."

"What if our son doesn't want his room painted masculine colors?" Steve argued, wiping the poo off the baby's bottom as Kayla bounced Sarah in her arms. The infant rested happily having found her home against her mother's chest.

Kayla turned to her husband with a piqued eyebrow, "You're wiping his ass, he doesn't know the difference."

"Touche."

"Plus, when he gets older, he can design his room however he wants. I just don't like the yellow." Kayla shrugged, walking through the connecting door that linked the boy's nursery to the bathroom connecting James's room to his sister's, "Besides, he's still sleeping in our room."

"It's only been three days." Steve reminded Kayla as he buttoned up James's Hulk onesie before scooping the child up and pressing him against his shoulder. His boy grabbed at Steve's unruly long hair and tried to tug, but much like Kayla, Steve didn't feel much pain as the child pulled a small fistful of blonde locks out of Steve's scalp. When he rounded the doorframe, he saw Kayla sitting in the wooden rocking chair he'd built by the window, cradling Sarah as she began to fall into sleep. He smiled weakly at the sight, it was everything he'd hoped for. "I'm sorry the house is still pretty empty. I ran up here several times after Pepper helped me close on it. I just wanted to make sure the two kids had cribs and we had a bed. Once that was done, I really wanted us to have a chair that we could rock the kids in."

"It's perfect Steve," Kayla whispered as Sarah's lids began to close. She coughed a little as she began to drift off, but Kayla was growing less and less alarmed with the child's coughing fits. She was her father's daughter.

Steve looked around as James babbled against his collarbone happily, pounding little fists against his father's chest playfully. "This room's yellow too. Maybe we can paint it blue, like- a pretty sky blue. And we could paint little clouds on the ceiling so it always looks cheerful for her."

Kayla noticed the way Steve wistfully dreamed, and she wondered if he was imagining his own childhood bedroom. It probably wasn't cheerful and she knew he spent much of his time stuck in bed sick. Neither Steve nor Kayla brought up how tiny Sarah was, and how she coughed a lot and wheezed often. Kayla could see guilt written on her husband's face. She'd inherited these problems from him, and had no super soldier serum to correct them. Whenever Steve looked at Sarah, he saw the sickly boy he once was. Kayla imagined that why he wanted to name her after his mother.

"I think blue is very nice for her room." Kayla lifted her chin to see Steve touching the crib with his free hand as James continued his drumming against his father, "Someone's lively this afternoon." Kayla added as she nodded her head toward the child. Her son was loud and strong for a baby, and Kayla could already tell they'd be raising a super soldier son. At least he didn't appear to be growing rapidly.

"Wanna trade?" Steve breathed after one particularly strong swat to the throat. Kayla shook her head a little but rose from her seat just the same, depositing Sarah in her crib before taking James from his father.

"Hey, honey." She cooed as the boy giggled in her arms, clapping his hands together happily as she held him up easily with one arm while the other pushed aside the blonde hairs that grew atop his head. She sniffed quickly, then turned to Steve suspiciously, "Either someone didn't change your diaper very well or you made another mess, little man."

"He made another mess. I swear." Steve replied as he crossed his arms, his biceps bulging against the fabric of the grey hoodie he wore.

Kayla snorted as she shrugged, "Whatever you say, blaming the baby." She sneered playfully before spinning around, earning more giggle's from her son, "How about I give this one a bath and you run out and get some dinner. Pizza or Chinese?"

"Chinese, and what about Sarah? We can't leave her alone-" Steve gestured toward the baby and Kayla lowered her brows to show Steve she wasn't stupid.

"Zaddi will keep an eye on her. Besides, I'm literally right in here." Kayla gestured to the bathroom the two kids would someday share. It wasn't much. The bathtub didn't even have a shower curtain yet, but it had running water, and a few towels that Steve had purchased while Kayla was doing time in prison. Kayla moved into the bathroom and turned the water on, testing it to make sure it wasn't too hot for her son, "Zaddi!" She called, and the Rhodesian trotted into the bathroom and sat obediently next to his owner. "Go watch Sarah. Go watch baby." She pointed back into the nursery and the dog scampered toward the crib before settling just below it, guarding his little owner with his life.

Kayla began stripping off James's clothes to give him a bath, and Steve continued to hover over them protectively. After a couple of moments, Kayla looked up and sighed loudly, "You don't have to worry. We'll be okay. I promise."

"I've only had you back a few days, I'm still nervous. I'd never forgive myself if anything really happened to you or them. My family is my whole life now. It's everything I am." Steve dropped his head to look at his tennis shoes, and Kayla smiled grimly at his confession. Without Captain America, Steve didn't know who he was. The only thing he knew with most certainty was he was a husband and a father, and he'd be as dedicated to that cause as he was to the shield and the Avengers.

"I'll take an order of Kung Pow chicken, fried rice, and potstickers. And extra fortune cookies." Kayla ordered as she gently lifted James into an inflatable seat that he could sit in as she washed him. She continued to ignore Steve until he understood that she didn't need him protecting her. That was the whole point of letting her go through prison and execution: nobody would think to look for her.

Steve shoved his hands in the front pocket of his hoodie and trudged out through James's room. Kayla was right, the dull yellow was gross. He closed the door gently behind him and trotted down the stairs to the kitchen. It had old appliances, and the wallpaper was peeling, but Kayla hadn't minded. She saw the little white house with the red door and the picket fence and swooned at the prospects it held for her. The various projects she began dreaming up made Steve beam with pride, because he'd given her something that would both keep her busy and make her happy.

Steve was nervous about going out into the world and finding a place for himself in it. He hadn't held a non-government job since before he joined the army, and he didn't exactly count his grief counseling a full-time job. More of a public service that he enjoyed. He almost wanted to stay at home full time with Kayla, but he knew she'd earned that after what he put her through the past few months. He'd get a job, and he'd provide for his family.

He'd create the life he thought he'd never get a chance to live.

Steve locked the front door and walked out to his grey pickup, opening the driver's door and climbing in. He turned up the radio, having found a sort of comfort in country music. He hummed along as he drove through the city streets of the suburb they now lived in. It was a safe neighborhood in a small town. It fit all the criteria he wanted. And it had a pizza place and Chinese takeout so that was a plus for Kayla.

He entered the small shop and looked around nervously, waiting for someone to recognize him or threaten him or overall something terrible to happen. So many years of living on his toes taught him never to trust anybody, and even the poor teenager at the register could sense his apprehension.

"Good afternoon! What can I get for you today?" She chirped happily, forcing out the cheery demeanor in an effort to ease the large customer. Steve cleared his throat and pulled his hands out of his pocket.

"I'd like an order of the Kung Pow chicken with fried rice... and extra fortune cookies." He recited, making sure he remembered all the details of what his wife wanted. He looked at the menu and twisted his mouth thoughtfully, "Actually, just make it two orders of that."

The young girl smiled and took the cash Steve handed her. He looked around the restaurant and his body eased as he realized that nobody was out to get him, nobody was going to take away his family. They were safe. They were okay.

After a few minutes, Steve's order was up, and he went to the counter, taking the white plastic bag and thanking the girl. "Thank you, come again!" She chirped loudly as he pushed open the door with his upper arm. Once inside the pickup, Steve grabbed his new cell phone and dialed the number to the cell he'd gotten Kayla.

It rang for several moments, and he began to panic, threw the truck into reverse to get home quickly. As he pulled back onto the road, already starting to speed, Kayla answered the phone, "Hey darling."

"What took you so long?" Steve barked, feeling his chest deflate knowing she was okay, "I was worried about you."

"You've been gone for twenty minutes, Steve. I just got James out of the tub. He soaked everything, including me." She grumbled from the other end, and Steve could hear his son laughing loudly in the background, "Everything is going to be fine honey. Please don't worry so much."

"Kayla, I barely saved your life. You had our daughter in prison, my greatest enemy wants you dead. I'm terrified." Steve rushed the words out, settling his foot on the break as he realized how fast he was going. "I'm sorry. I'm just being overprotective."

He heard Kayla laugh a little on the other end, a thankful chuckle that made his heart feel a little lighter, "I love that you are overprotective, but I'm a big girl, and I can take care of us too you know. Get home, I'm hungry. I'm gonna put James down for a nap while we eat."

"I love you Kay." Steve told his wife, smiling to himself as she answered the same before hanging up the phone.

* * *

Kayla and Steve sat on the floor on the cushy tan carpet of their living room as they ate. They had no furniture, no couch, no table, no chairs. Kayla moaned happily as she put her plastic fork into the container and laid down on her back, staring up at the ceiling fan. Steve broke another fortune cookie in half and discarded the paper, tossing both halves of the snack into his mouth.

"Wait, what's your fortune?" Kayla yelped as she reached for the paper. "Happiness is found within."

"What's it mean?" Steve asked nonchalantly as he laid down, resting his head on Kayla's stomach. "What's the point of fortune cookies anyway?"

"They are fun." Kayla answered, rolling the small strip of paper between her fingers. She flicked it away, then went to work running her fingers through Steve's hair. "I think it means you don't have to keep looking for happiness, you already have it in your heart. Maaaayyybe it's me. And your son. And your daughter." Kayla booped Steve on the nose as he grinned, closing his eyes happily as he felt Kayla's belly move beneath him.

Steve reached up and grabbed Kayla's hand, pulling her palm to his lips. He planted soft kisses against her fingers as she sighed deeply, causing him to move up and down on her stomach. "So we'll paint the kid's rooms. What else do you want?"

"You." Kayla growled, sitting up and letting Steve's face fall into her lap. "I want you, Steve Rogers."

"I'm not Steve Rogers anymore." He grumbled, turning his head to bury his face into the thin fabric of her shirt so she couldn't see how sad he looked.

She knew though, she could hear it in his voice, "You'll always be Steve Rogers to me. You might have a new name, a new identity. Our kids may not bear your last name, but when we turn the lights go out at night, you'll always be my Captain America, Steven Grant Rogers. The love of my life, my husband."

Steve quickly rose and crawled over Kayla, backing her onto the carpet as he chased her with his mouth. He pressed his whole body against hers, digging her into the floor as he bit at her lip. Kayla growled playfully into him as she shoved her tongue into his mouth, trying to eat him alive. Steve moved his lips from her mouth to work his way down to the bottom of her shirt, grabbing it with his perfect teeth and yanking it up her body as she giggled. When it got hooked on her chest she pushed herself up and pulled the shirt off as Steve worked to unhook her bra. Once she was topless Steve went to work on her jeans, unbuttoning them and pulling them slowly down her toned thighs. As he leaned back, Kayla pounced on him, pushing him into the carpet as she straddled him, pulling off his grey hoodie.

Suddenly a loud cry came from up the stairs, and the two stopped and looked up in unison. Steve groaned and let his head fall back in frustration. "I'll get him." Kayla settled back onto her haunches in nothing but her lace thong, pursing her lips together as a weaker, higher pitched cry echoed in unison with the first. Steve pushed himself to his feet and started trudging up the stairs, pouting as Kayla pulled Steve's massive sweater over her breasts. Steve wouldn't be getting lucky this afternoon after all.

_**Author's Note: **__Thank you all for continuing to support this story! I know I threw a lot of you for a loop with the last couple of chapters, but things are going to simmer down now. We're going to have a lot of fluff, eventually coming to some drama. I can't wait for you all to get to know the kids!_

**_glagla60800-_**_ Unfortunately the circle is going to stay small. I won't say that no one will ever find out they are alive, but I can guarantee that several characters will die never knowing Kayla and Steve are alive. _

**_PeriAce-_**_ We are going to be seeing A LOT of Tony Stark! As they say, fix it with fan fiction! As I said above, unfortunately, most people will not find out Steve and Kayla are alive, but sometimes things happen and others need to be looped in. But the Rogers family is alive and well and adjusting to being regular people and parents. Two things neither of them is prepared for haha. _

**_CurlyOne-_**_ I thought it was really important for someone to be there when she delivers Sarah, and even she caught that Natasha called her Kay. Natasha and Kayla owe each other their lives, and this back and forth will go on for a long time. _

**_amberhardy-_**_ First off, please be safe in Dorian! I'm also chillin here in Central Florida waiting to see what's going to happen, but I'll try and update every day that I am able to (read- have power). I'm glad that I could surprise you with a happier chapter! Things will be happy for a while now! :)_

**_Siobhan-_**_ Breathe easy my friend! It's smooth sailing for a while! (Not forever, but for a long while!)_


	20. Chapter 20

"Mr. Steven Carter?"

Steve looked up, brows drawn until he realized that was his legal name. He rose quickly and moved to close the space between himself and the woman who called him. "Yes, ma'am. I'm Steven." He shook her hand and smiled weakly, nervous for his interview.

The ash blonde assistant looked Steve over quickly, taking in his professional appearance despite the pull his biceps had against the thin fabric of his green dress shirt and eventually noticing the wedding band on his left hand. "Right this way."

Steve followed her quickly to the manager's office and she gestured for him to enter before closing the door. An older man with salt and pepper hair and a brilliant smile moved around his desk to greet Steve. "Mr. Carter, pleasure to meet you. I'm Mr. Thompson, the manager here."

"It's nice to meet you, sir." Steve greeted back as he gave the man a firm handshake. Mr. Thompson nodded, taking in the man's confidence and appearance before gesturing to the chair opposite his desk. Steve sat and folded his hands in his lap, sitting straight in the chair as he waited for the man to ask him questions.

Mr. Thompson clicked the mouse for his computer, bringing the monitor alive as he pulled up the file Steve had submitted. "So it says here you attended art school for a semester before joining the army at nineteen. You spent twelve years in the service, is that correct?"

"Yes sir," Steve replied, remembering the files Tony had sent with him regarding the public background he implanted in the government's database. "I served two consecutive contracts. After the second one I met the love of my life and got married. We were pregnant when the decimation happened- and lost our son. Spent five years trying to get by with odd jobs, living with her parents. Just before the vanished returned we found out she was pregnant again, so I knew we had to start over once our son was back. Moved the family out of the in-law's house and brought them here from Boston." Steve smiled as he met the manager's dark eyes with his own bright ones. He hoped the man would believe his tale, as it was partially true. His heart swelled as he talked about his kids. He would do anything for them, including this.

Mr. Thompson nodded, typing away on his computer before looking back at Steve, "So you've got two kids?"

"Yeah, my boy's eight months old and my daughter is two weeks."

"She's very young. You must have really wanted to get out of the in-law's house to move her so little." Mr. Thompson chuckled as he rested his left elbow on his desk nonchalantly. "This is hard work here, you sure you're up for it? It's usually men much younger than you who come aboard."

Steve tried to hold back his shit-eating grin as he leveled with the older man, "Don't worry, I'm stronger than I look."

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Steve called as he entered the front door of their home. While he'd been out, the furniture they'd taken out a loan for had been delivered and Kayla had organized the couches and tables around the living room and connecting kitchen. Steve could smell the sweet aroma of brownies wafting from the kitchen as he closed the door behind him. "Kay?"

"I'm here!" Kayla called from the kitchen. Steve noticed just outside the kitchen was James in a bouncer seat squawking as he tried to get his mother's attention while Sarah laid quietly in her own infant bouncer. Steve scooped James's pacifier off the carpet and wiped it on his shirt before gently inserting it back into his son's mouth where it belonged. As he quieted, Kayla seemed to realize Steve was now with her and turned to him, pushing a stray chunk of auburn hair away from her face, "Thanks for that. I've been busy making dinner."

"Brownies for dinner?" Steve asked as he sidestepped his two children, holding his left hand behind his back as he entered the kitchen.

Kayla looked up at him with a playful scowl, "No, I made chicken for dinner, brownies for dessert." Before she could say anything more, Steve revealed a beautiful bouquet of red roses from behind his back. Kayla took them quickly and shoved her nose into them, breathing deeply the aroma of the flowers, "They are gorgeous Steve. I take it the interview went well?"

"I mean, construction wasn't really my dream job, but I'll take it. Money's good. I'll be home by three every day. Weekends off. I can't complain." Steve admitted with a shrug as Kayla placed her flowers into a vase then turned to Steve with a beaming smile.

"I'm proud of you. And you can always find something else if it doesn't work out. It'll be easy to work, make money, and keep your head down. Once the kids are a little older I'll get a job myself, then you'll have more freedom to do whatever you really want." Kayla pressed a chaste kiss to Steve's lips before looking down at the two children in their bouncers. James clapped his hands clumsily as she looked to him, moving his body up and down rapidly as he caused his bouncer to shake. "That thing will never last," Kayla mumbled as she picked up the baby and moved him to his high chair near the table. "You like the furniture?"

"I do. Did you move it all by yourself or did you let the moving guys do it?"

"I let them do all the work. I told them where to put it. Could have done it myself, but-" She shrugged, latching the tray onto James's highchair. Once he was situated, she went back for Sarah, sitting with the infant on her lap. Steve knew she appreciated being able to nurse Sarah, something that really bothered her about raising James. Kayla adored James with all her heart, but even she couldn't deny that Sarah was her 'normal' daughter and James was her 'special' son. As Kayla got Sarah situated, she looked up to Steve, "Can you serve dinner? There's a banana in the fridge for James-"

As Kayla spoke, both herself and Steve turned as they heard a loud crashing coming from the highchair. James had ripped the tray off its hinges and send it flying to the floor with terrifying speed. Zawadi cowered beneath the table, whimpering as he pressed himself against Kayla's leg. Kayla looked up from her seated position to meet Steve's eyes just as Sarah detached herself from Kayla and began wailing. Kayla sighed as Steve bent over and picked up the broken tray. "Maybe I'll just feed him by hand."

"Yeah, you might need to. Also, we may need to reinforce... everything." Kayla trailed off as she looked around the kitchen. Her son was already beginning to crawl, and he knew how to really throw his strength around. And everything else.

Steve saw James begin to wiggle out of his highchair and slide out of his seatbelt, so he launched toward the child and caught him, causing his son to giggle wildly. "No." Steve said sternly to the boy, and he stopped laughing, looking up at his father with sad green eyes. Steve raised his brows, his voice deepening as he scolded the boy, "No. We don't break things. We don't slide out of our chair. If you do it again, I'll let you fall."

"Steven!" Kayla yelped, jolting Sarah under her loose top. Kayla quickly soothed the girl and stared at Steve with angry eyes.

James's lip began to wobble, and the tears were about to start falling. Steve just stared at him with cold, unmoving eyes. Then he pulled the toddler closer to his chest, leaning his cheek against his son's head, "Shhh, don't cry. Daddy won't let anything happen to you."

Kayla met Steve's eyes as he swayed. The awful thing about their situation was they didn't have anyone to show them how to be parents. Kayla's parents thought their daughter was dead and buried. Steve's parents had been dead a century. They had nobody to learn from, nobody to call on for help. Steve felt like he was drowning, and he was unraveling, and he didn't know if he could be a good father.

Steve moved James around so he could see the boy, and the child's eyes were sad as he looked scared at his father. Steve deflated and pressed a kiss to his son's forehead, "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. Daddy loves you so much."

"Dadda."

Kayla's jaw dropped as her head snapped back up to look at her son. Steve's mouth broke apart into a brilliant smile, beaming at his son. "Yeah, Dadda."

"I can't believe his first word was Dadda." Kayla gawked as Steve continued to coo at his son. "He's such a mamma's boy, and his first word was Dadda."

"You jealous?"

"No." Kayla bit back, lowering her face to look down at Sarah. "Maybe a little."

Steve knelt down next to Kayla and sat James on his knee, "Can you say Mamma?"

"Mamma." James spat out happily, reaching out for Kayla with grabby little hands. Her green eyes watered a little as he reached for her, and she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

"I love you. And you. And you." She told James, then Steve, then little Sarah who now cuddled against her stomach. "I love this life."

Steve's heart swelled as he pressed his lips against his wife's. "I'm glad. I just want you to have everything I can give you."

"Can you get me dinner? Because I'm starving. Chickens in the oven to stay warm. Mashed potatoes on the stove." Kayla directed as she grinned cheekily up at Steve from her chair.

Steve nodded, plopping James into the highchair and strapping him in tightly before snapping the plastic tray on tightly, "Sure."

* * *

That night was the first night that James slept in his own nursery. Steve and Kayla put Sarah down first in their room, then went together to put James to sleep. Kayla laid him down in his new crib, and leaned over, pushing her dark hair behind her shoulder, "Hey baby. Mommy and Daddy are going to be right in the other room okay? We've got this monitor over here and we're gonna watch you and make sure you're alright and if you need anything we'll be right here okay?" Kayla rambled, reaching down to stroke his cheek as Steve rubbed her back supportively.

"Mamma." James babbled, and Kayla looked back up at Steve sadly, not wanting to leave her baby.

Steve nodded understandingly and leaned over to look at James, "You're going to be so brave and tough here on your own, and like Mommy said, we'll be just across the hall if you need anything." Then Steve looked up at Kayla, "You know he has no idea what we're saying right?"

"Yeah, but it makes me feel better," Kayla mumbled sadly, sticking her lip out as she looked back at James. But he was already sound asleep.

Steve grabbed Kayla's hand and pulled her gently away from the crib, leaving the door open as he led her back to their bedroom. Across the hall, they left their bedroom door open as well, and Steve looked over Sarah in her crib as she wheezed lightly with every breath, breaking his heart. Kayla changed into her satin nightgown, then crawled into bed and pat the empty spot next to her, luring her husband to sleep beside her. But Steve stayed standing by his daughter's crib, gripping the edge with his strong hand, "I just want to help her, to make her better. She's going to have such a hard life, I can tell."

"You know we could give her the serum. I could make a dose that would be safe for her... but I kinda thought you'd want that to be her choice." Kayla told Steve thoughtfully, leaning on her elbow to look at him.

"I do. That's what makes this so hard. Knowing that I could make all her troubles disappear, but knowing she'd never have the choice. I had a choice. You and James didn't."

"James has the serum in his blood because we do. You can't help what's in your family genes. I could give him anti-serum. But its the same thing, it should be his choice. When they are older, we'll give them the option to do either. We'll tell them who we are- were- and let them decide who they want to be. Until then, let's just try and give them a normal life." Kayla suggested quietly, drawing Steve's attention away from the baby for just a moment before he turned back to look at his daughter.

"Yeah. When he reaches eighteen, she'll be seventeen. We'll tell them when they are almost adults. Then they can have a normal childhood."

"As normal as it can be." Kayla chuckled, "Come to bed, soldier. Sleep while she does. It won't last long."

_**Author's Note:**_

_**amberhardy- **__Steve's in such a weird position, but he'll settle down eventually. I love domestic Steve. Precious. _

**_Siobhan-_**_ Yay! I'm glad it gave you butterflies! It'll be fluff for quite a while. Off an on throughout the kids' childhoods! _


	21. Chapter 21

Kayla took a deep breath as she lowered herself into the downward dog position in their living room between the windows and the couch. It was Steve's fourth day of work at his new job, and Kayla was creating a routine for herself and her little family. One that included waking up at seven, feeding the kids, then letting Sarah rest in her bouncer while James was allowed to crawl around the super-baby proofed living room.

This allowed Kayla a little downtime for herself, which was needed. The former socialite- criminal- Avenger wasn't used to being a stay at home mom, and as much as the little ones needed her, she was already bored.

It had been seven days.

A loud knock came from the front door around eleven o'clock, and Kayla's head snapped up to look toward the noise. Zawadi began to bark loudly and run at the door, pawing at it as Kayla pushed herself to her feet. She adjusted her tight sports bra as she trotted to the door to see who was there. Kayla looked through the peephole and, seeing the person on the other side wasn't someone trying to arrest her and her husband, decided to open up.

She swung open the door and came face to face with a short brunette with thick hair that fell to her midback. She was at least ten inches shorter than Kayla and curvey, dressed in black jeans and a button-down blouse. "Hello?"

"Oh, uh, hi. I'm Tessa- Tessa Davis. I'm your neighbor." The shorter woman stammered, holding out a covered plate of cookies out to the auburn-haired woman in yoga attire. "I made you cookies to welcome you to the neighborhood. I'm-uh, sorry to interrupt." She gestured to Kayla's clothing after handing over the plate.

"Oh, yes, no worries, come on in." Kayla opened the door a little wider and gestured for the woman to enter, not wanting to seem suspicious. At the newcomer, Zawadi tried to jump up on her, but the woman backed away from the massive dog as Kayla pulled back on his harness. "Sorry about him, he's really friendly, I swear." She groaned as she pushed a strong hand to the end of his spine to make him sit. Zawadi sat obediently and panted, waiting for the new woman to greet him as Kayla knelt beside him.

She approached cautiously, patting the massive creature on the head, "What kind of dog is he?"

"He's a Rhodesian Ridgeback. I got him from a shelter when he was just a puppy. Didn't realize what he was until much later when we did a breed test." Kayla huffed as she gave the dog a kiss on the snout. "Thanks for the cookies!"

"You're welcome..." Tessa trailed off, realizing she hadn't gotten the woman's name.

"Kathryn," Kayla answered, aware that she hadn't used her new name yet. "Kathryn Carter, but you can call me Katie if you'd like."

"Nice to meet you, Katie. I won't keep you, I just wanted to stop by and say hello, if you need anything don't be a stranger. My boyfriend owns the house next door, I actually just moved in a couple of months ago myself." Tessa explained, looking around the house as she took a step back toward the door.

Kayla looked up at the woman, then rose, putting her hand down to keep Zawadi sitting. "You don't have to leave. I mean, you can, if you want to. It's just me and the kids until my husband gets off of work. It's actually kind of nice to talk to someone who's ass I don't have to wipe."

Tessa laughed loudly and pushed back her dark hair, "I mean, I'm not in any hurry to go anywhere." Kayla gestured toward the couch and Tessa entered the Carter residence as she looked around. "Nice place you got here."

"Thanks. Its a work in progress. A bit of a fixer-upper. I'm gonna started painting the upstairs rooms this weekend. Then my husband and I are going to re-do the counters and floors in the kitchen. All the fun stuff. I've already started picking out new appliances, but we needed furniture first." Kayla listed with her hands on the soft curve of her hips. "Can I get you something to drink? Water? Milk? Wine?"

Tessa chuckled again, "Waters fine, thank you." She sat on the tan couch that faced the large windows overlooking the street. She imagined they were planning on placing a tv there at some point, but for the moment it was just the couch and a reclining chair in the corner. Tessa looked to her right as she sat, seeing the infant in the bouncer for the first time, "Oh, she's adorable!" She cooed as she leaned over. The little girl wore a little pink dress that said Daddy's Little Girl on the front.

"Yeah, Steve insisted she needed that." Kayla mumbled teasingly as she stepped over the baby get to reenter the living room. "That's Sarah. She's about three weeks old now."

"She's very tiny." Tessa droned quietly, smiling down at the child without thinking much about her words.

"Yeah, not like her brother," Kayla added as she looked around. "Speaking of which..." She handed Tessa the plastic water cup and went looking around the room. The brunette watched the taller woman as she looked around the couch, having an 'ah hah' moment as she scooped up a large toddler. "This is James. He's about eight months."

"You have a three week old and an eight-month-old?" Tessa asked, looking up as she tried doing the math in her head.

Kayla understood her confusion and quickly answered, "He was a snap baby."

"Oh."

Kayla sat down on the tan couch next to Tessa and bounced James on her lap. "Yeah, but everyone's back now, so that's all that matters." Kayla pushed back the boy's blonde hair which must have come from his father seeing as it looked nothing like Katie's.

"I was one of the vanished," Tessa said quietly, leaning back against the soft cushions as she took a long drink of her water. "It's why my boyfriend has a house now. Lucky for me he didn't move on while I was gone."

Kayla smiled, gazing off through the open window wistfully, "That has to be very hard. What's he been up to all this time?"

"Working. Saving money. I'm hoping for a ring soon." Tessa replied quickly, setting her cup down on the table next to the couch. She noticed Zawadi wander up and lay across her feet, but she didn't mind.

Kayla hummed thoughtfully, bouncing James on her knee, "That would be exciting..."

Tessa smiled to herself as she picked up her water and took another long drink, staring out the window with a hopeful smile, clearly imagining a proposal from her longtime beau.

James began to get frustrated in his mother's arms and she set him on the ground to continue crawling around. He cruised quickly on hands and knees for a baby, and Zawadi perked up and followed the child as Kayla leaned over Tessa to see Sarah still smiling happily. "So what do you do for a living, Tessa?"

"I work at the coffee shop downtown. Well, I own it actually." Tessa admitted, a slight blush creeping onto her round cheeks

Kayla gave the woman an impressed stare, "Wow, good for you. I'll have to stop by sometime."

"You should, I'll give you a good discount." Tessa winked, and Kayla tossed her hair back and laughed. Tessa studied the woman, taking in her familiar appearance. She could swear the woman's face was someone she met before, but she didn't remember ever meeting Kathryn Carter.

Suddenly Kayla raised her head to address her neighbor, "Are you free next Friday night? Maybe you and your boyfriend could come over for dinner?"

Tessa inadvertently balked a little, not prepared for the invitation, "Oh, yeah, sure! We'd love to."

"Cool. I'll try to stop by the shop this weekend while Steve's off. I need a break from the kids." Kayla moaned moments before she heard the kitchen table scrape along the floor. Both women propped themselves up to see what caused the noise and found Zawadi cowering under the table as James giggled. Kayla immediately knew it was her son, not her dog who moved the heavy table, but how was she supposed to explain that to her new friend? "Zaddi! Careful around the baby." She chastised lightly and Zawadi whimpered as she strolled over to pick up her son. "I've got to change this one, but I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah, I better get going. Ryan's gonna be home in a few hours. His brothers are coming to visit this weekend so I better finish cleaning up the house, but it was nice to meet you, Katie."

"Thanks for stopping by." Kayla beamed as she led Tessa to the door. "Have a good day."

"You too." Tessa said, a hint of suspiciousness in her voice as she left the Carter household. After Kayla closed the door, she leaned against it, holding James against her hip.

* * *

"Where'd the cookies come from?" Steve called as he washed his hands in the kitchen sink, seeing the tin foil-covered plate on the counter. He felt gross but relieved to be back home with his family. Coming home to his wife and kids reminded Steve why he was doing this. To give them a normal life.

"Tessa Davis. She lives next door with her boyfriend." Kayla hollered back from the downstairs bathroom she'd locked herself into to have some alone time now that her husband was present to watch the kids.

Steve nodded understandingly as James bumped into him, pushing himself to sit on his butt and yank on the leg of Steve's jeans. "She nice?"

"Yeah, she's really nice. She hung out for a while. It was so nice to talk to an adult." Kayla yelled through the door, and Steve chuckled to himself as he picked up James in his left arm before leaning down and picking up his tiny daughter in his right hand. Kayla finally emerged from the bathroom, her long thick hair pulled up into a dark bun on top of her head. "How was work?"

"Work is work," Steve grunted, leaning against the counter with a kid in each arm, "It's easy. Moving stuff. Driving machinery. It's not hard."

"Easier than fighting aliens and evil robots and traveling through time?" Kayla joked and Steve nodded, smiling weakly. Kayla took Sarah from Steve and cuddled the little girl against her chest as Steve hoisted up his boy to look him in the eyes. "Go get cleaned up. I'll get these two fed then start dinner. Also! Your son moved the kitchen table all by himself today."

"Oh did he?" Steve teased as he smiled grandly at his wife, but she just stuck her tongue out at him. She narrowed his eyes and he took James up to the master bathroom with him so the child could crawl around the safe, empty space while he showered and got ready for dinner.

_**Author's Note:**_

_**Nikkita Star- **Oh hai there friend! Thanks for joining the community! I also love domestic Steve he's the most precious and I adore him and did I mention I love him! Get ready for shenanigans with the kids (especially when they get a little older) and a whole of of your main man Tony Stark! _


	22. Chapter 22

A week and a half later, Tessa and Ryan knocked on Steve and Katie Carter's door with a wine caddy with four bottles in the woman's hand. Kayla answered the red door and squealed as she leaned forward, giving Tessa a hug before holding open the door for them to enter.

"Hello! You must be Ryan, it's so nice to meet you! I'm Katie." She greeted as she shoved her right hand at the lanky, dark-haired man before her. He wore a nice button-up plaid shirt and black slacks.

He smiled gently and shook her hand, studying the auburn-haired beauty with grey eyes, "Nice to meet you, Katie. Thank you for having us over."

"Of course, come in! Come in! Make yourselves at home! Steve's upstairs putting the kids down for the evening." Kayla explained chipperly, motioning for them to follow her into the kitchen. She'd already taken down the peeling wallpaper and painted the kitchen a deep, homey red that matched the deep wood of the kitchen table they had. She stirred the pot of angel hair pasta on the stove before turning down the temperature on the four-cheese marinara sauce that was simmering nearby. "There are wine glasses above the sink, please help yourself, dinner should be ready shortly."

"It smells delicious Katie." Tessa hummed happily as she opened the cabinet and grabbed four glasses before looking around, "You have a wine opener?"

"Second drawer to the right," Kayla called over her shoulder, her long hair pulled into a side ponytail to stay out of her face as she wiped her hands on the black apron she wore over her light wash jeans and sleeveless black turtleneck.

Tessa found what she needed and began to open up a bottle of red merlot. She poured four glasses and handed one to Ryan as he passed by her. Kayla took the pasta off the stove and poured it through a colander as Steve came barreling down the staircase into the main living area. He wore black thick-framed glasses that shielded his recognizable eyes from the world. "Hello. You must be Tessa and Ryan. I'm Steven." Steve said as he reached out to shake the man's hand. Ryan gulped back his drink of wine and looked up at the massive blonde before him, taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

"Nice to meet you." Ryan said quietly as he studied Katie's husband, and the tall woman leaned up to kiss him on the cheek as he put his left arm around her shoulders. "Wine?" Ryan asked, offering Steve a glass.

"Don't mind if I do." Steve took it and sipped the red liquid slowly as he grinned at his wife's new friend. "So Kay-tie tells me you own the coffee shop downtown? The Brewhouse?"

"I do. It basically breaks even and that's about it, but business is getting better. I got it for a good deal after the vanished returned and the old owners didn't want it anymore when they reappeared. They sold it and moved to Bali." Tessa explained, sipping her wine as she took a seat at the kitchen table. Ryan pushed in her chair and she smiled warmly at him, her dimples appearing on her rosy cheeks.

Kayla and Steve nodded understandingly before Steve cleared his throat, "What about you Ryan? What do you do for a living?"

"Oh I'm a police officer," Ryan answered nonchalantly and luckily didn't notice the way Steve's wine got stuck in his throat and Kayla's face flushed pale at his words.

_A cop? And we're literally supposed to both be dead._

"Oh." Kayla finally pushed out as she sat down her glass, pouring more wine into her glass as she continued talking, "That's exciting. I'm sure you've been busy. Things seem very all over the place since everybody came back last year."

"It's actually a lot slower than during the snap. There was so much crime then. There's still a lot of fear though. After everything that happened in New York a few weeks ago, people don't know if they are safe." Ryan explained, leaning against the back of his chair as Kayla doubled back into the kitchen to serve the pasta.

"Dinner's ready!" She called as she brought over a bowl of plain pasta and set it down in the middle of the table before bringing over a gravy boat full of pasta sauce in one hand and a bowl of bread in the other. "Oh, I've got peas in the microwave!"

Tessa squished her face in disgust at the mention of peas but helped herself to a bowl full of pasta, "So Steven, you're in construction now. What did you do before you moved here?"

"I was in the army before the snap." He said honestly, placing a piece of garlic bread onto his white plate before taking a spoonful of the peas Kayla set in front of him. "Served for twelve years before meeting Katie. I want something a little less dangerous now that we have the kids."

"That's understandable. I hate what Ryan does. Like, I'm proud, but I'm always nervous." Tessa pat her boyfriend's arm with her left hand. "But he's really good at what he does. And he's very careful."

"Steven was never careful," Kayla muttered under her breath as she sat beside Steve and he shot her a look. She shrugged under his judgemental glare and Tessa giggled in response.

Ryan spooned up a pile of peas and placed them on Tessa's plate, and she scrunched her nose again, looking unhappy as he dished up his own. "It's an honorable job, even if it's dangerous. But this town is pretty sleepy. I catch people speeding sometimes, that's the extent of my excitement."

"And hopefully it stays that way," Tessa argued, gesturing toward Katie and Steve with her wine glass.

"Cheers to that," Kayla mumbled as she raised her glass for a toast before downing her second glass of wine.

* * *

Two hours later, Ryan and Tessa had gone through two full bottles between the two of them and were thankful to live next door. Tessa sat on the floor in front of the couch at her husband's feet while Steve sat in the reclining chair nearby. He chuckled at the couple as they laughed loudly at each other. Kayla stayed in the kitchen to finish the dishes.

"So, Carter, you must have done sports in high school. Football? Baseball?" Ryan asked as he sipped his current glass of merlot.

Steve bopped his head back and forth thoughtfully, "No, not really. I really wasn't this bulky when I was younger. I started working out when I decided to join the army. I went to art school for a semester before that though."

"No shit! Can you draw?" Ryan blurted out excitedly as he leaned over the armrest to get closer to Steve. The man's grey eyes were hazed over from the alcohol, but he looked genuinely interested.

Steve leaned back in his chair, groaning, "I can. I can draw, but not now, not after this much wine. You'll get nothing but stick figures."

"Well if we ever need a sketch artist down at the station I'll hit you up." Ryan settled, leaning back into the couch as he stared out the window at the quiet suburban street. "I didn't really do sports either, just track and field."

Tessa rolled her eyes and moaned as she looked over her shoulder to the kitchen. "Katie, come join us! Why do I feel like you aren't even tipsy?" Tessa called teasingly as she laid her head against Ryan's knees. She pushed herself to her feet and wandered into the kitchen, leaning against the metal fridge as she watched Kayla closely, studying the woman. "Ryan makes you nervous."

"What? No." Kayla argued back, never stopping her scrubbing.

"It's because he's a cop, right?"

"No, Ryan's great! I promise, it's just... he reminds me of Steve. That worries me... for you. It's hard, you know?" Kayla strained through clenched teeth, trying to get the brunette woman to drop the subject. She didn't want them getting suspicious of her and Steve.

Tessa blew air out through her mouth, the smell of wine reaching Kayla's enhanced sense of smell instantly. "I said he's careful."

"I know, but, things happen. I just don't want you to get hurt." Kayla turned to face the woman, and saw her pupils were large, "I think you've had enough to drink tonight."

"And you haven't had enough." Tessa scolded, nodding toward the men. The sound of grunting came from the living room, and Kayla looked up, scrunching her brows as she leaned around the doorframe, seeing Steve sitting on the couch with Ryan, arm-wrestling the smaller man.

"Oh, this will be good." Tessa teased, meeting Kayla's eyes as she bumped into the opposite doorframe, beaming from ear to ear. "Your husband, he's quite a snack."

"Oh yeah? That's the alcohol talking." Kayla laughed as Steve easily subdued Ryan, causing their guest to laugh loudly and demand a rematch.

"He's like a regular Captain America."

Kayla's blood ran cold, and her joking demeanor died out instantly. "What did you say?"

Tessa's head lulled back a little and smiled weakly at her friend, "He was a soldier wasn't he?"

"Yes. But he's not-"

"Well, obviously. I'm not stupid." Tessa slurred, and Kayla sighed in relief that her new friends didn't know who they really were. Tessa reached up and grabbed her shoulder, squeezing it supportively. "Him being in the service, it really messed you up didn't it?"

Kayla swallowed hard, seeing Steve laughing boisterously with Ryan. Kayla wasn't used to seeing him so open and happy with someone who wasn't apart of the Avengers. It was refreshing. "Yeah. I guess it did."

"I'm thankful you guys moved in next door Katie. It's nice having another couple we can spend time with. Ryan really only spends time with his two brothers." Tessa whined, flipping her thick brown hair over her shoulder. "But it's late, we should get going before your husband breaks Ryan's arm off."

"I won! Take that!" Ryan yelled victoriously as he slammed Steve's arm into the table. Kayla shushed him loudly as the sound of crying echoed from downstairs, the yelling and laughing waking up Sarah. "Sorry!" Ryan apologized as he scrambled to his feet, shaking Steve's hand.

"It's fine, I'll take her. Thank you for coming." Kayla hugged Tessa and smiled gratefully at Ryan before heading up the stairs. She heard Steve telling the couple goodnight and the men laughing as the door closed. Kayla scooped up Sarah and rocked her gently back and forth, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "I love you, darling. I love you so much. All of this is for you and your brother, so you can grow up safe and secure and have a normal life."

Kayla heard the door lock, and her breath caught in her throat, "I'm happy Sarah. I really am." She whispered, looking out the open bedroom door toward the staircase, "But I don't want to erase who we are. Because we... we were-"

She waited for Steve to turn the corner and meet her glance, knowing he heard everything she told the whimpering infant. He lowered his head, feeling the weight of her sadness, "Kay. We aren't erasing who we are."

"You were Captain America. I was the President's Daughter. Our kids, they should have everything." Kayla whispered, placing Sarah back into her crib.

"They will. We'll give it to them, just the two of us."

Kayla looked up and gently touched Steve's jaw. "I love you, Steve."

"I love you too, Kay."

Steve went into James's room to check on him as Kayla began preparing for bed, brushing out her hair as she stared at Sarah's crib. Her heart was torn. She was beginning a new life- but, she had loved her old one so much.


	23. Chapter 23

Three Weeks Later

Kayla parked Steve's truck outside The Brewhouse on Saturday morning. She checked her phone, seeing that she was running late, but her seven-week-old daughter had a fever and sobbed all through the night, keeping both parents awake. As the sun began to rise, her fever finally broke, and Steve finally relaxed enough to get some sleep. Kayla, however, did not, and stayed awake with her daughter until Steve woke up again three hours later.

Now, with Steve taking care of the kids, Kayla was able to spend a little time out and about. Her favorite new routine was Saturdays and Sundays when she treated herself to a late morning visit to Tessa at The Brewhouse. The old coffee shop was connected to a little diner downtown, but it was very much its own establishment. The inside was all dark wood and the black marble counters that gave the coffee shop a sexy, adult feel. A large black chalkboard hung above the counter with the menu written in shimmering silver chalk. Little booths with dark red covers lined the windows as a handful of little two-person tables dotted the far wall, housing about twenty people on a busy day.

The little bell above the door jingled as Kayla pushed open the glass door, walking briskly up to the counter. Jason, one of the four teenagers who Tessa employed at The Brewhouse, swallowed hard under Kayla's gaze, feeling self-conscious around the beautiful woman. Kayla wore a short, sporty dress and heeled tennis shoes with her hair pulled away from her face by her bright green sunglasses. She smiled sweetly at Jason after looking around the shop, "Is Tessa here?"

"You're late." Tessa barked as she stormed from the back, but Kayla could see she wasn't angry because she was trying to hide her grin. "I was starting to think you were standing me up."

"I'd never stand you up, Tess," Kayla whined, leaning against the counter as Jason moved away, allowing Tessa to approach the customer. "Give me the strongest drink you got."

"Long night?" Tessa asked as she began working on a long Machiatto for her friend. She looked up through her thick lashes to see Kayla massaging her temples before rubbing her eyes with her fingers.

She sighed as she met Tessa's chocolate eyes, yawning through her explanation, "Sarah was up all night with a terrible fever. Steve and I were both up all night with her. She kept screaming, she was so uncomfortable. I felt so terrible."

"She's sick a lot isn't she?" Tessa pressed gently, covering the strong beverage in whipped cream for her auburn haired friend.

"Yeah. Gets it from Steve I guess. He says he had a rough childhood. That's why he works so hard to stay healthy and fit now because he used to struggle so much. She's just so little. Her two-month checkup is next week, and I'm hoping the doctor will have some suggestions." Kayla forced a weak smile as Tessa handed her the beverage, not bothering to ring it in.

Tessa nodded slowly, looking from Kayla to the door, "I'm sure they will. She'll grow out of it."

"I hope so." Kayla agreed, lifting her drink in a subtle cheer before taking a long drink of the beverage, "This is delicious by the way."

"It's like I do this for a living." Tessa countered and Kayla snorted, taking another drink before gesturing toward the booth at the window. The little bell above the door ran again, and Tessa greeted the new customer as Kayla took a seat at their usual spot, waiting patiently for Tessa to take a break.

After a few minutes, Tessa plopped down across from Kayla, wiping her sugary hands against her black apron, "You still up for sunrise yoga tomorrow morning?"

"As long as my daughter lets me sleep, then most definitely," Kayla mumbled as she took another drink, her eyes darting from Tessa to the window, seeing a police car pull up in front of the shop, "Everything okay with Ryan?"

Tessa looked up and saw what Kayla was gazing at and her eyebrows furrowed as her boyfriend got out of the car. "Yeah, as far as I know... I'll be right back."

Kayla watched intently, trying to read their lips and catch what was so important that Ryan came to see Tessa at work. He could just be getting coffee, but the nervous frown made it seem like it wasn't a social call. Kayla made out the words 'Washington' and 'America'. But it wasn't until she saw him say the name 'Ellis' that made her heart stop in her chest.

She pulled out her phone and began typing feverishly, keeping her eyes on Tessa and Ryan as they continued to talk. She saw Tessa grab her mouth in shock, looking down at the ground as Ryan grabbed her shoulders, smiling down at her reassuringly.

_I think Ryan knows. I'll keep you posted. If I'm not home in an hour, take the kids somewhere safe._

Kayla pushed herself up out of the seat as she shoved her phone in her purse before grabbing her keys and heading toward the door. Once she opened it, she walked around the side slowly until she was in Ryan and Tessa's sights. She drug her feet over to them, shoving her hands into the pockets of her dress as she looked to the lanky cop, "Hey Ryan! Everything okay?"

"Hey, Katie! Yeah, everything's fine-well, kind of." Ryan corrected himself, shuffling his boot a little, "The Chief assigned several of us to a special case. President Ellis has been pulling strings on the Hill and has every town in New York looking for his grandson."

Kayla willed her face to not drain itself of color as she heard the words, but she couldn't stop her green eyes from bugging out of her head in shock, "Wow. That's insane. What... what happened to the kid? She got executed I remember. Does the father have him?"

"Dad was the old Captain America. He's dead too. The boy's only living relatives are his grandparents and they want him back." Ryan explained with a shrug, "Seems a little extreme personally, the kid's probably already dead."

"Where do you even begin in a situation like this?" Tessa asked, staring across the city street thoughtfully as she spoke.

"It's really not that hard. They know who was with him the night he disappeared."

Kayla felt her heart plummet into her shoes as she shifted her weight, "Really? Who?" She asked, acting genuinely interested despite already knowing the answer.

"The Black Widow."

"Wasn't she in the Avengers? Why would she steal someone's son?" Tessa asked, looking up at Ryan curiously.

"Captain America reported that she was living with Kayla Ellis before the trial. She was the last person that they know was with the child. He was never seen again after the incident at the gala, and as I said, I don't think a child could survive five months with an assassin on the run. She can hide, but she can't hide him. They are checking anywhere and everywhere she could possibly be. Ellis is sparing no expense at finding the kid." Ryan explained as he placed his hand on his car and leaned into it. "I've got to get to work. Just stay safe, okay. I love you." He pressed his lips to Tessa's temple before opening the door and sliding into the driver's seat. He blew Tessa a kiss before driving away.

Tessa turned to Kayla, who watched the cop car drive away, considering his words. They were searching for her son. They were searching for James. He was right under their noses and they didn't have a clue- which meant he was safe.

But Natasha was not.

"I'm a little shaken up Tess. That could be me. That could be my son. I... I think I need to go home. Just for peace of mind." Kayla stammered with a quivering jaw.

Tessa wrapped her arms around her taller friend, patting her back supportively, "I totally get it. Go home to James and Sarah. Make sure they are okay. I'll see you in the morning?"

"Yes. I'll be there. I promise." Kayla murmured, pulling away and looking down at her friend. "Get back to work slacker."

"Screw you." Tessa laughed, shoving Kayla away as she trotted back into her store.

Once Tessa was out of sight, Kayla sprinted toward the large grey pickup. As soon as she had the door closed, she yanked out her phone and began calling her husband. "Steve?"

"Kay, what the hell's happening? Do you need us to run?" Steve yelped from the other end of the phone. Kayla could hear the fear in his voice.

Kayla clamped her eyes shut as she breathed deeply, "We're fine. Our cover is intact. But they are searching for Nat."

"Who is?"

"Everyone."

* * *

Kayla slammed the door and locked it behind her, pressing her back against it as she panted. Zawadi barked loudly, jumping up and putting his paws on Kayla's chest as he tried to lick at her face. She let herself sink to the floor and the dog nuzzled his large face against her, trying to comfort his owner as she sat in a daze. She heard the familiar squawking of her son as he began pattering toward her clumsily.

"Hey, handsome." Kayla reached out with both arms and motioned for the toddler to keep walking toward her. "Come on little man, you got this." James stumbled into her chest, falling against her as she wrapped her arms around him, stroking his blonde hair lovingly. The little boy latched onto her dress and wouldn't let go, studying the green fabric in his little fists.

"Kayla- Kayla what the hell's happening." Steve came barreling into the room, kneeling next to Kayla with Sarah protected in his arms. "What's going on with Nat?"

"My father is endorsing a state-wide manhunt for Natasha. He thinks she still has James. Every police force in New York is looking for her. Can we get a hold of her?" Kayla asked, holding James's back with one hand and reaching out for Steve with the other. "We need to find her."

"And do what exactly? If she comes here, they'll not only find her, but they'll find James, and us... What happens if they find us? If they find you?" Steve asked, pressing a firm kiss to the back of Kayla's free hand.

Kayla stared at him blankly, stroking James's back as she tried to come up with a solution. "It's just me, Steve. You can have the kids, they are yours. Nobody can take them from you. There's no proof that you are dead. We have to help Natasha, she risked everything for you and me to have our family. Get a hold of her, Steve."

Steve leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kayla's pale lips before passing Sarah to Kayla's free arm. He rocked himself back onto his heels and went into the kitchen to find his burner phone to find Natasha. He pulled open the top left drawer and grabbed the dark flip phone that only held three numbers: Natasha. Bucky. Tony.

He dialed his former partner and wandered toward the sliding glass door leading past the kitchen table out to the backyard as the phone rang. And rang. And rang. "Come on Natasha," Steve growled as he waited impatiently for her to answer. He got her machine and after the beep, he left a frantic message to the Black Widow. "Nat. It's Steve. Call me back as soon as you get this."

Within moments of Steve hanging up, the phone rang again. "Natasha?"

"I can't talk long Rogers. What do you need?" Her curt voice cut through the line, but Steve could tell her usual playfulness was missing.

"Come to the house. You know the address. We'll hide you here. Kay wants to protect you." Steve ordered quickly but she cut him off.

"No. It's too dangerous. Take care, Steve." Natasha hung up the phone, and Steve clenched it tightly, only releasing his grip when he began to feel the phone cracking. He groaned and threw his head back, looking up at the ceiling. He felt his wife's gentle hand on his shoulder and turned to face Kayla, shaking his head disappointedly.

"It's okay. She knows where to find us if she needs us. She's gonna be okay. If anyone can survive this, its Natasha Romanoff." Kayla assured her husband as she gave him a supportive squeeze on the shoulder. "We'll lay low for a while. Just to be safe." Kayla mumbled, pressing her lips against the soft fabric of Steve's t-shirt.

* * *

"Natalia." Bucky's hushed voice rumbled through the empty apartment. Sam was meeting with Mathew and Sandra Ellis, coming up for a plan to find their grandson. He needed to find James as much as they did- James was Steve's son. Natasha didn't have the right to keep him for herself.

Years of running together wiped away by a single action. Sam felt sad and betrayed, but he had a duty now that went beyond being a renegade soldier. He was Captain America, and his first mission would be to ensure his friend's only living relative was safe with family. Sam Wilson was leading the hunt for Natasha Romanoff.

The redhead peeked around the door of the closet, looking over Bucky's broad shoulders as he appeared in the bedroom doorway to make sure he was alone. Her long red-blonde hair sat limply around her shoulders, reminding Barnes she hadn't showered in a few days of hiding. Her eyes were sad and maybe even a little scared. She had nowhere to run that was safe.

"Natalia." Barnes tried again, using her given name as he stared at her expectantly, "You need to go."

"I know. I'll head to Barton's place. It's off the map enough. He already knows I'm coming." She answered quietly, still not trusting that Barnes was alone. Her green eyes were laser focused on the soldier as he looked around his bedroom, trying to word his next question.

"So what are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting to see if you've sold me out or not."

Bucky balked at her accusation, crossing his arms defensively as he set his jaw. "I didn't. But Wilson will be back soon. If you don't want him to find you, I suggest you move. The whole state's looking for you."

"Steve called me today. He got word that they're expanding the search." Natasha told Barnes quietly, stepping out of the closet with her black duffle already slung over her shoulder. "You should check in on them. Make sure they're okay."

Bucky gave the other assassin a firm nod, "I will. But it's too soon right now." Barnes looked up as he heard the door to their apartment unlocked. He turned to Natasha with a knowing smile, "Time to go."

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_Siobhan- _**_I know, their regular lives come and go, but I think I'm going to simmer down and dig deeper once the kids get a little older. I just don't want to make the story too boring! But I'm glad everyone is enjoying it! Oh, we'll be seeing a lot of Tony, Pepper, Morgan, Natasha, and of course Bucky Barnes! But as for everyone else?... maybe... maybe not. The circle is small. And they want to keep it that way. _

**_Nikkita Starr-_**_ As I said, four bottles is nothing lol. Next time you come visit I'll show you! (Note for others reading, I've known Nikkita almost my whole life. :)_


	24. Chapter 24

As the clock struck one in the morning, Kayla continued rocking little Sarah in the rocking chair. She smoothed the child's wispy blonde hairs away from her face as the baby whimpered against Kayla's chest. "Shh little one. Everything's okay. Everything's okay." Kayla hushed as she pressed her hand against the child's face, feeling it was warm again. Kayla wiped her free hand against her own forehead, pushing her dark hair away from her face. "Sarah, darling, what are we going to do about you?"

Kayla rested her cheek on her daughter's head, feeling a tear drip from her eye and slide down her face as she sighed. This was all her fault. If Kayla hadn't gone to Vorimir... if she hadn't taken the Soul Stone in the first place, Red Skull would have never gotten off of that planet. She'd have given birth to a strong and healthy baby girl who had super soldier serum in her veins. They'd be with their friends and family.

But Natasha would be dead.

Although now, despite everything Kayla had done to save the Black Widow, she was being hunted down for something she didn't do. Natasha put Kayla and Steve's family back together, and it would cost her freedom. Perhaps Kayla should have let her go.

Kayla took a shaky breath and lifted her head, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of the baby's head. After a moment, she began to hear stirring from James's room, and she looked up to the ceiling, praying that her son would go back to sleep. Suddenly a cry echoed from the other room, and Sarah began to gasp, her little face turning red as her little, high pitched scream began to form in her throat. After a moment, it built up enough to escape, and Kayla moaned, letting her head fall back as she stood up, wandering through the bathroom to enter her son's room with her daughter in her arm. "Yes, child? What do you need?" She asked teasingly as the boy's crying ramped up, causing Sarah to ramp up her volume to compete.

Steve stumbled into the room, jutting his arm out to catch himself as he tripped over one of James's toys. "You want him or her?"

"Take your daughter. Her fever is back. I'll change James if you go rock her." Kayla ordered her husband, gently passing off the baby girl to attend to her toddler. Once he was scooped up in her arms, she took James over to the changing table and began unwrapping his diaper as Steve took Sarah back into her room.

Sarah wasn't sleeping by herself yet, but Steve appreciated the children having separate rooms for moments like this. Many nights were spent awake, tending to the sick little girl. Steve sat down in the wooden chair he'd built by hand, the thing he wanted so badly to give to Kayla and his kids. He pushed his bare feet against the cushy carpet, moving back and forth as he shushed his little girl. "It's okay Sarah. You're alright." Steve promised, and his daughter because to gasp quickly, but her tears began to lessen in her father's arms. He smiled down at her and she giggled a little before relaxing against his strong arm.

"What is it with you and kids, Steve Rogers?" Kayla joked from the doorway, crossing her arms as she leaned against it. She shook her head a little as she stared at him with a crooked smile, "I don't know how you do it."

"Me neither. But I'm glad they like me." He answered softly, stroking Sarah's bare arm with his large thumb as she turned and snuggled against his arm.

Kayla scoffed, shuffling toward her husband and daughter, "Of course they like you. You're their father."

"I never knew my father." Steve mumbled, looking down at Sarah sadly, "I just kind of make it up as I go."

"Well I've always been close to my mother, and I still don't know how to be one. So I'd say you're doing just fine." Kayla pressed a kiss to Steve's temple as he continued rocking Sarah back and forth, "She's still really warm, but we should try to get her to sleep. Let's head back to bed, okay?"

"You go to sleep, I'll take her. Aren't you meeting Tessa for sunrise yoga?" Steve inquired with a smirk and Kayla rolled her eyes.

"It seemed like such a good idea at the time."

"Go to bed Kay. I've got this." Steve assured his wife, and she squeezed his shoulders as she sighed.

"Alright. But don't keep her up too long. If she starts to sleep we should bring her to bed, okay?"

"Whatever you say, Kay. I love you." Steve told his wife easily, not even looking up from his little girl as his wife left the nursery.

She smiled at his words, looking back one more time before going to their room, "I love you too Steve."

* * *

Kayla laid out her yoga mat in the backyard four hours later, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she yawned into the darkness. Her thick, dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that bounced as she moved, but she was makeup-less before the crack of dawn. Steve and the children were sound asleep, but Kayla didn't want to stand up Tessa this early in the morning.

The gate leading from the front yard swung open and Tessa pondered through the dewy grass to stand beside Kayla, throwing her head up in a greeting nod. "Morning."

"If you can even call it that," Kayla mumbled, looking up at the sky with squinted eyes.

"How's Sarah doing?" Tessa asked as she smoothed her thick yoga mat onto the grass. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Her fever is back. Steve woke up and took her after a while. I'm just- I just feel... bad. I want her to be better. She's too young for this." Kayla admitted sadly as she laid on her stomach and arched her back, pushing her torso upward.

Tessa followed her lead. Her face was set in a grim smile. "I'm sorry Katie. I know how hard it's been for you. You really need to take her to the doctor-"

"I know, I'm taking her this afternoon." Kayla interrupted, pushing herself onto her hands and feet as she leaned against her legs and stretched her lower back, "I want to take her today before Steve goes back to work tomorrow."

"Well, how about Ryan and I bring over dinner tonight. We'll bring pizza. We can even bring over paper plates so you don't have to do the dishes." Tessa chuckled as she tossed her head back, throwing her brunette hair away from her face.

Kayla pushed her feet into the air, standing on her palms upside down as she smirked at the smaller woman. Tessa rolled her brown eyes in response, "Show off. Seriously, what do you say?"

"I say I can do dishes, but you can still bring pizza. Say, six o'clock? Give me a good twelve hours to sleep?" Kayla replied as she let her feet fall to the ground easily, standing as Tessa groaned and pushed herself up to face her friend.

"You won't sleep, but I'll let you believe you will. Now, teach me how to do that handstand." Tessa prodded, causing Kayla to laugh loudly. She caught herself as Tessa shushed her, covering her mouth as Zawadi began barking from inside the glass door, wanting to come out and be with Kayla. She quickly ran up the small deck and opened the door, setting the massive dog free into the yard where he ran in circles around Tessa. Kayla trotted down the two wooden steps into the grass, feeling how cool and wet it was between her toes.

"Alright, front and center. Fingers spread, don't lean too much on your wrist or you'll hurt it." Kayla ordered, circling Tessa as the girl snorted, crossing her arms. Kayla looked at her expectantly, then gestured to the yoga mat with her hand. "You said you wanted to learn."

Tessa looked at Kayla suspiciously, "You are an odd woman, Katie Carter."

Kayla laughed, pulling her mat on top of Tessa's to give her a softer landing place, "You have no idea. Do you trust me?"

"Strangely, yes," Tessa answered, quickly moving to stand on her hands and Kayla grabbed her ankles. The smaller woman felt herself begin to tip forward, but her friend easily held her up, making sure she didn't fall.

"You've got to build up the strength in your arms. And balance. It takes discipline." Kayla said, her mind trailing off as she spoke quietly. She remembered training with Natasha and Steve, becoming an Avenger. Becoming more.

_You aren't going anywhere until you can focus. You have no discipline, you're spoiled, and I can't trust you to be there for the team out in the field._

Tessa moaned as she shifted her weight, beginning to tip over, and Kayla let her fall back onto her feet, stumbling a little as she regained her balance, "How do you do that and regain your composure?"

"It's a long story. Maybe someday I'll tell you." Kayla winked and pulled her own mat away to sit on it, legs spread to the side as she leaned forward, "What? You getting sleepy?"

Tessa studied Katie curiously, considering her words. "What's your story, Katie? You don't really talk about your past. You talk about Steve, and the kids, but not you."

Kayla looked up, the reflection of the rising sun glistening in her emerald eyes. The corner of her lips pulled up to make a small, imperfect smile as she tried to form the words she wanted to say, "It's complicated."

"Mmm." Tessa hummed, pressing the bottoms of her feet together and inhaled deeply. "I get it. We've only known each other for a few weeks."

"I just, I want to be honest with you-"

"I want that too, Katie," Tessa countered cooley, not looking at her friend. "I don't like lies. I don't have the patience for that bullshit. I've been lied to too many times before."

Kayla swallowed hard, staring at the woman sitting on the mat in front of her. She could see Tessa's tense shoulders under her strappy shirt. "Tess..." Kayla started, trying to formulate some sort of explanation. Some sort of answer that would make her understand. So Kayla settled on the truth. A very, very vague version of the truth. "My husband did some things... in the military... that he shouldn't have. He made some bad choices. He got in some trouble with some bad people. So we have to keep a low profile. He's not in trouble anymore, he's... he's fine, but I can't be as open and honest with you as I wish I could be. I hope you'll keep quiet about this, even with Ryan. I know you hate secrets."

Kayla studied Tessa's shoulders as they relaxed a bit before she turned and looked over her shoulder. "Thank you. For being honest with me. I appreciate it, Kay."

Kayla's head jerked back, startled by what Tessa had called her, "What?"

"Katie. Sorry." Tessa realized the name had triggered the redhead. She wiggled herself around to face Kayla, sitting cross-legged as she clasped her hands together. "I've heard Steve call you Kay."

"No, it's fine. You can call me Kay. It's what my friends have always called me."

Tessa nodded, "So we're friends?"

Kayla snorted as Zawadi sniffed Tessa curiously, "You make it sound like we weren't before. You're the only friend I've made in this small town. I don't take it lightly." Kayla cracked her knuckles and stood, seeing the sun finally settling over the horizon. She rolled forward and pushed herself to her feet, offering Tessa her hand. "Come on, let's get some coffee at the shop. Maybe some of those little cake pops you know I like."

"Oh, you want to make me work? Thanks, I appreciate that." Tessa mumbled as she allowed Kayla to yank her to her feet. Kayla slung her arm over Tessa's shoulders and led her into the house to get cleaned up.

Kayla opened up the fridge and pulled out a carton of orange juice as Zawadi circled Tessa, begging for attention. She pet the large dog's head as he tried to lick at her tiny fingers. Kayla poured two glasses and handed one to Tessa before leaning against the counter. "So pizza tonight?"

"Yeah, double date. Get excited. I'll bring the pizza, you guys get the beers. Get Steve to break out the drawing pad. Ryan keeps harassing him about it." Tessa blurted after finishing her juice.

Kayla nodded, raising her glass, "I'll see what I can do."

"You ladies talking about me?" Steve asked as he bounced down the stairs with Sarah in his arm and James giggling while slung over his shoulder.

Kayla leaned over to her husband and kissed him as he stole her orange juice out of her hand and replaced it with his daughter. Kayla gawked at him as Tessa smirked, watching the couple. "Stop it. You two are making me sick. I aspire to be this gross someday."

"I mean, you've already got the man. Get a ring and have some kids and you'll be right here with me. Not sleeping, wiping shit and cooking for someone who eats for four." Kayla teased, elbowing Steve in the gut as she bounced Sarah a little. She pressed her hand to her daughter's face, feeling her a little cooler than before, "We need to get her to the doctor today, Steve."

He looked surprised at her words but nodded nonetheless. "It's six-thirty. The doctor's office I looked into opens at seven if you want to go early. The sooner we get there the sooner we'll get her in."

Kayla turned to Tessa, sighing as she shrugged, "Raincheck on the cake pops and coffee?"

"I didn't want to work anyway," Tessa replied with a flip of her hand. "I better go home and get ready for the day though. I'll see you tonight. Six o'clock. Sketchbook Steve!" She called as she let herself out the sliding door into the backyard to go back to her own house.

"She called my bluff this morning," Kayla said evenly, taking Sarah to the kitchen table to sit in the dining room chairs as Steve flipped James upside down, causing the boy to giggle as his blonde hair flopped toward the ground.

"Oh yeah. How'd that go?" Steve asked, not really paying attention to his wife as he entertained his young son.

Kayla bopped her head back and forth a little, "I told her you got into trouble in the military and that I couldn't be as open and honest with her as I'd like to be. I said you made some bad choices and got into some trouble, but I assured her you weren't in any trouble anymore. Which is one-hundred percent true I'd like to add. Not a lie at all." Kayla met Steve's piercing blue eyes and he moved his jaw back and forth, chewing on the information.

"That seems a little unnecessary. You couldn't have just stuck to the backstory we were given?"

Kayla's squinted at her husband, pursing her lips in frustration. "She's my friend. I want her to trust me."

"Kay, they don't really know us at all. They don't know the first real thing about us. They know I like to draw and you like to do yoga and drink coffee but everything they know is just a story. We have friends. Real friends, who know us." Steve argued, setting James on the ground to play with the dog.

"Natasha's on the run. Tony is 'dead' and Bucky is Sam's right-hand man. And everyone else thinks we are dead. Sam, Bruce, my parents, T'Challa, Wanda, everybody thinks we are dead and buried. So no- Steve, I don't think we have real friends right now. And it's really hard because those people were our family. You know how hard it is having my daughter sick and not being able to call my mom? Do you know how hard it is to not talk to Natasha and Wanda when I have a bad day? I miss them, Steve. Tessa and Ryan are all we have right now. I want them to be real." Kayla deflated, dropping her head to look at Sarah as the little blue-eyed girl stared up at her mother with a quivering lip and grabby hands. "You don't know what it's like to die and wake up as someone else. I've had it happen twice."

Steve wandered over to Kayla and knelt down, leaning his face against her arm. "We need to go Kay. Can we talk about this later?"

"I know we won't. But I've said what I needed to say." Kayla retorted sharply but leaned her face down to press a gentle kiss on Steve's head anyway. Try as she might, Kayla Rogers couldn't stay mad at her husband.

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_glagla60800: _**_Sadly nothing is going on with Natasha and Bucky. I know it's canon in the comics, however, there's another plan in motion for this story. Don't worry though, we'll be seeing plenty of both of them in different capacities. _


	25. Chapter 25

As promised, at exactly six o'clock Ryan and Tessa showed up at Steve and Katie's door with pizza in tow. Zawadi barked eagerly, trying to jump up on Ryan as he held the pizzas just out of reach. "Hey, hey buddy, no pizza for you." Ryan cooed at the dog as Steve grabbed onto the Rhodesian's harness and gently pulled him away from their visitors.

Kayla traded Ryan a beer and took the pizzas into the kitchen to keep away from the dog. James sat on the carpet, playing with a set of large, multicolored blocks as Tessa sat on the ground next to him, beginning to help the child build his little tower. Ryan plopped down in his usual spot on the tan couch behind Tessa, watching his girlfriend with the child as Steve sat in his recliner nursing his own beer.

Ryan watched Tessa play with James, noticing the way her eyes lit up and her smile grew as he laughed and clapped. "Hey, no baby fever Tess."

"No, never." She laughed, leaning back to look up at Ryan. James moved and plopped down in between Tessa's legs and began pulling on her blouse as he tried to stand and lean against her. He pulled her hard and Steve leaped from his seat to unlatch his fingers from the woman.

"James. No yanking." Steve chastised quietly in his son's ear, but the boy began to whimper, wanting to go back to his blocks. When Steve released the child, he fell to the ground and began playing, already having forgotten how his father took him from his playmate. Steve addressed Tessa once he knew his son was preoccupied, "Sorry about that. He's a strong little dude."

"Yeah, I can tell." Tessa grumbled as she massaged the area around her neck where her shirt had pulled. "Katie, where's the pizza?"

Kayla emerged from the kitchen carrying the pizza boxes and paper plates, which she set on the ground after securing Zawadi behind the baby gate. "I decided on the paper plates after all."

Tessa laughed and flipped open the box of sausage and mushroom and grabbed a slice of pizza as Steve looked skeptically at the pizza. Tessa noticed his confusion and chuckled, "What? It's my favorite."

"I didn't realize those were pizza toppings," Steve muttered, leaning back into his chair as Kayla brought him two slices of pepperoni pizza before sitting on his lap, eating her own piece of cheese.

Kayla giggled a little, using her free hand to hold Steve's jaw, "After all these years, you still don't know that anything can go on pizza?"

"After all these years?" Ryan sneered playfully, and Kayla's eyes widened as she realized her error. She quickly turned to Ryan and Tessa, laughing nervously as she felt her cheeks heat up.

"That we've been together. I always order the weirdest pizzas. Like, they'll put M&Ms on them if you ask." She explained awkwardly, trying to alleviate the situation she'd inadvertently created.

_After all these years? After all these years you'd think I'd realize my husband was just a man._

"Yet here you are, with the plainest one of them all." Tessa gestured with her own slice, and Kayla opened her mouth to defend herself, but closed it, putting her hands up defensively.

"I do what I want."

The four were interrupted by a knock at the front door. Kayla and Steve exchanged a surprised glance, and Kayla got off Steve's lap as he stood, moving to the door to see who was there. Tessa continued to play with James, oblivious to Steve and Kayla's apprehension about a surprise visitor. Steve opened the door and was quickly ushered back inside by the Black Widow.

"Steve, I need a place to stay..." Natasha's urgent tone trailed off when she turned to the left and realized they weren't alone. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I didn't realize you guys were busy."

"Natalie!" Kayla cried happily as she jumped to her feet and sprinted across the room, wrapping her arms around the redhead. Natasha's long hair was cut short in a curly bob, not unlike the style she sported when Kayla first met her over a decade ago. When Kayla pulled away, she studied her friend quickly, her eyes wide to warn Natasha to play along. She turned quickly and beamed at Ryan and Tessa, "This is my sister Natalie. Natalie, this is Tessa and Ryan. They live next door."

"You look really familiar," Ryan said quietly, studying Natalie, but Kayla intervened before he could realize she was the woman he was hunting.

"Only if you've spent time in Ohio because that's where my family lives." Kayla laughed, and Natasha chuckled along, grabbing onto Kayla's shoulder supportively. Kayla turned from her friends to Natasha, "You said you needed a place to stay? What's wrong?"

"Sam and I broke up. Really, really bad breakup. I'm... I'm afraid to go home. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have bothered you guys with everything going on with Sarah but I didn't know where else to go. Mom and Dad will never let me hear the end of it if I go home." Natasha explained to Kayla easily.

Ryan leaned forward over Tessa, watching the two women curiously. Natalie looked so much like Natasha Romanoff, but he also had to admit the resemblance between her and Katie Carter was palpable. The two were clearly sisters, they fit together like a worn glove. "Sam's the boyfriend?"

"Girlfriend." Natasha corrected, and Ryan nodded understandingly as Tessa continued playing with James, only occasionally looking up at her friend's sister. Natasha shoved her hands in the pockets of her grey and black sweater jacket, "I really can go if you need me to. I just can't go back to Sam, she's a nutcase right now. She's been verbally abusive, Katie."

"Have you filed a police report? I can help you out if you need me to." Ryan offered sweetly. Natasha looked to Kayla questioningly and Kayla's breath caught in her throat before she shoved it out and explained.

"Ryan's a police officer. A good one too, he's a part of a special department trying to help families recuperate after everything that happened the past five years. He could help you if you wanted- but for tonight, please stay here and get some rest." Kayla turned to Ryan, "We'll discuss it and reach out to you in the morning if we want to file a police report. I know it's out of state, but still-"

"No worries Katie, I'll take care of everything," Ryan said, still watching Natasha carefully. This was Katie's sister. He could see it. But she looked so much like the woman who stole that child.

"You want some pizza and beer? We have a ton. Join us!" Tessa invited, gesturing to the floor beside her and the pizza boxes stacked just outside of James's reach.

Natasha smiled shyly at the brunette, "I appreciate it, I really do. I don't want to crash your double date though."

"How about I get you settled into the guest room. You can get some sleep, we won't be too loud, I promise." Kayla offered, gesturing toward the staircase.

"Are you sure Katie?" Natasha asked, her green eyes pleading. Kayla couldn't tell if she was still acting or if she was really desperate, and she was reminded that one of her best friends was one of the greatest spies in the world.

Kayla nodded meekly, "Yeah, of course. As long as you're away from Sam. I never liked her you know." Kayla added with a scowl, then nodded toward the stairs to lead her 'sister' to the spare bedroom. As Katie led Natalie upstairs, Ryan turned to Steve questioningly.

"Your sister-in-law looks just like Natasha Romanoff." He told the soldier bluntly and Steve lowered his head defensively, setting his jaw.

"I've known her for years. I promise Natalie isn't an assassin. She couldn't hurt a fly. One time she woke me up in the middle of the night to kill a spider while Katie and I were living with their parents." Steve adjusted the arms of his dark glasses as he spared a quick glance up the stairs, "I'm just worried about the situation with Sam. Katie's been worried about her for months. That woman is ruthless."

Ryan shifted uncomfortably on the cushion of the tan couch, but Tessa just shot him a dirty look over her shoulder, pulling her long hair aside as James continued to focus on his building blocks, "Stop being paranoid. You won't have to deal with the Black Widow. She wouldn't come to a sleepy town like this."

"A cop? Are you kidding me Kayla?" Natasha hissed at her friend as soon as Kayla closed and locked the door to the spare bedroom upstairs. Kayla's resigned, frustrated face told Nat everything she needed to know about what her arrival would mean for the couple.

"Tess is my friend. I didn't know her fiancé was a cop. They live next door. Plus, the more time we spend with them, the more likely he'll make sure nobody bothers us." Kayla justified as she crossed her arms, tapping her index finger on her forearm as she stared down Natasha, "We asked you to come yesterday and you blew off Steve. We didn't expect you to take up our offer, otherwise, we would have been more prepared."

"I can't trust anyone. I can't talk over the phone, even the burner phones. I got run out of the city. I'll make my way to Clint's, I just need to lay low for a while. They'll check with Pepper, but not here."

Kayla pushed herself away from the wall and embraced Natasha, holding the back of her head tightly as her other arm kept Natasha pulled close, "I'm so glad you're alright. We need to figure out how to end this. This isn't a life for you-"

"I'm a spy Kay, this is the only life I've ever known. I've just... been more low profile in the past." Natasha bit back quietly, venom dripping in her words for the life she'd lost. The life they'd all lost. SHIELD. The Avengers. Even the little band of renegade vigilantes that Steve led around the world. It was all gone now.

Kayla released Natasha and twisted her lips, trying to decide the best course of action. "Stay here for a few days. It'll keep up appearances for our cover if you do. If you leave now, you look suspicious, and then we look suspicious. Steve can take you to Clint's. He'll pretend its a business trip or something." Kayla thought aloud, trying to come up with a realistic plan as she held onto Nat's arms.

Natasha pulled away and plopped her black duffle bag onto the bed, sitting next to it as Kayla brainstormed. She ran her fingers along the black quilt, taking in the elaborate sewing that made up the twists and turns of the elegant pattern, "Maybe we need to fake my death too."

"Too many deaths begin to look fishy. You're the Black Widow, people would believe it if you just vanished into thin air."

"Your father is the one spearheading this manhunt, and he has Sam under his thumb. They all think I have James. They won't stop until they get him back safe and if they don't, they'll keep hunting me." Natasha argued, keeping her voice low as she looked toward the door. "Perhaps it's not my death we need to fake."

Kayla yanked her neck back in disbelief, placing her hands on her hips fiercely, "You don't mean my son?"

"Well, obviously it's just for show." Natasha snorted, rolling her eyes at Kayla's response. "If your father thinks James is gone, he may continue hunting me, but they'll decrease the manpower."

Kayla shifted her jaw, thinking through Nat's plan. It did make sense. But Matt and Sandra Ellis had lost everything: their only daughter and her family. Their only link to Kayla Ellis was her son. Could she take that from them? Even just the idea that he was out there somewhere?

"I don't know Nat, how are we going to do that without implicating you more? Then the story goes from 'keeping him safe' to 'murder' real fast." Kayla put air quotes around her words as she groaned, "This is so complicated. It's all my fault, I did this."

"Yeah, but you did it to save my life, so I'll deal with it. I'm sorry you have to deal with it too though." Natasha met Kayla's eyes with her own piercing green ones. Kayla could see tiredness she wasn't used to seeing in Natasha. It was the weariness she'd worn during the snap when Nat single-handedly ran what was left of the Avengers for five long years. Her second chance at life was breaking her soul.

"We'll figure this out. In the morning. I need to get back down there. Ryan already seems suspicious of you." Kayla whispered as she pressed her ear to the door, hearing Ryan and Steve laughing loudly downstairs. She twisted the handle and opened the door slowly before turning back to Natasha, "I'll check on you when they leave."

"Thank you, Kayla. I appreciate it." Natasha finally admitted with a deep sigh, forcing a hopeful smile across her sharp features. "Have a good night."

"You too Nat." Kayla closed the door behind her and bounded down the stairs into the family room, where she was greeted by anxious stares from Steve and Ryan as Tessa held James's hands while he tried to walk. "Look at you and the little man!" Kayla crossed the room and plopped down next to her friend, causing her son's attention to break away and focus in on his mother. He waddled over to Kayla and collapsed against her chest with a thud, knocking the breath out of her for a moment before she rubbed his back lovingly.

"How's your sister? She seems pretty shaken up." Tessa asked, trying to gauge her friend's reaction. Tessa could sense there was more at play here, but she wasn't going to go so far as to assume her neighbor was the sister of an assassin. But Katie Carter and her husband were a bit odd, so Tessa used any and every opportunity to understand exactly who she was dealing with.

Kayla caught onto Tessa's intentions though, and kept her calm demeanor intact under the questioning, "I think she's gonna be okay. It's just a breakup, not the end of the world. It just seems that way because Sam was so intense. Plus, Mom and Dad never really approved of her, you know, dating another woman." Kayla fabricated more story, trying to make her tale seem believable to her neighbors. "She's gonna stay here a few days. I, for one, I'm cool with it, because she can help me watch the kids while you're at work. The four of us could actually go out for once. I hope it's okay that I said she could stay." Kayla directed her words at Steve and he shrugged, rolling his blue eyes beneath his glasses.

"Yeah, why not. Free room. Free babysitter."

"That's the spirit." Ryan chortled as he took another long sip of his beer, still not able to let go of the familiar woman, even if all signs pointed to her being nothing more than Katie's sister. "She still looks like the Black Widow."

"Really? You think? I think she looks like me." Kayla shrugged nonchalantly, unbothered by the man's accusations. Kayla beamed at James as he opened and closed his mouth, making silly faces at his mom. Suddenly, Ryan's phone began to buzz loudly on the table next to him. He looked over to it lazily and groaned before grabbing onto it.

"I'm sorry guys, I've got to take this. It's work."

Kayla and Steve met each other's eyes for a moment as they heard the man talk in hushed tones as he walked further toward the kitchen. Ryan paced back and forth, pressing his fist to his lips as he took in the information from his boss. After about three minutes, he hung up and walked back, lowering his hand to help Tessa off the floor, "Sorry guys, we've got to go, I'm getting called into work."

"It's seven fifteen, the night's still young. You go, I'll be home in a while. The pizza's not even cold yet." Tessa said evenly as she leaned her back against the couch. "What's happening?"

"I can't go into details. It's classified. I just want to know you're home safe, okay." Ryan told Tess sternly, and she took his hand and allowed him to pull her up with a firm yank. Ryan turned to Steve with a grim smile, his steely eyes hard as the blonde man rose from his recliner, "Next time I want you to break out that sketchpad."

"You got it boss." Steve replied as he thrust his hand at Ryan to shake, smiling as the police officer nodded in return. Tessa hugged Kayla before being led out the front door by Ryan. She looked over her shoulder nervously before Steve was able to close and lock the front door.

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Nikkita Starr- **Don't get too excited about Sarah getting stronger. She's her father's daughter, and she's basically a little pre-serum Steve in a modern age. As for Tessa? She's a curious one, but as hard as she works to find the truth, those around her work hard to keep their secrets. _


	26. Chapter 26

Kayla was feeding Sarah at the kitchen table when there came a knock at the door. Natasha looked at Kayla wearily and holstered her gun in the back of her pants. She pressed the thin screen on her face, diluting her features to look more similar to Kayla's as she opened the door.

"Ma'am. Pardon the intrusion, I know it's early, but have you seen this woman?" A police officer showed Nat a photo of herself from the Vienna Conference with the long, dark hair blown out to the sides in a business outfit.

Natalie studied it for a moment, placing her hand on her hip as she leaned her other arm against the door, "No, I can't say that I have. Although... I have to say she looks a bit like my sister and me." She mumbled nervously, looking up at the older man before her, "Who is it?"

"Natasha Romanoff. The Black Widow. She was last seen fleeing New York City, but a traffic cam caught her car heading north. She's extremely dangerous. We're taking all the precautions."

"Katie, come look at this!" Natalie called over her shoulder to her sister before turning back to the photo again. Katie groaned as she rose from her seat, sauntering over to the police officer with Sarah in her arm. When she reached Nat, she looked at the photo for a second with squinted eyes. Nat studied her for a moment before asking, "You seen this woman before?"

"She looks like you Halloween 2007." Katie chuckled as her sister elbowed her in the side. Then the super soldier looked up to meet the officer's patient eyes, "Naw. I haven't seen her. I'm sorry sir."

"Keep a close eye out. As I told your sister, she's incredibly dangerous. Let us know if you see anything suspicious okay?" He asked genuinely, looking over both women for a moment before turning and heading back to his police cruiser.

Once the man was out of the doorway, Kayla closed the door and sighed as Natasha glared at her. "Don't look at me like that. I know this is a big mess, we're working on it."

Natasha didn't answer, but instead turned and walked over to Steve's recliner and plopped into it, raising the footrest as she clicked the remote to turn on their new flatscreen television. Natasha lifted her right knee and leaned a little to the left, the loose fabric of her yellow blouse draping over the chair as she studied the current news story about a fire in Buffalo. Next to the chair sat Natasha's dance shoes- and a small bottle of whiskey from the night before. Kayla took a deep breath and shifted Sarah into her other arm, thankful that over the past week her little girl had finally started feeling better. Not good, but better.

"I just don't know where this ends, you know."

Kayla looked up from the baby girl to see Natasha's eyes had drifted to her. Kayla sat on the couch, but her back was stiff as she leaned forward, settling Sarah on her thighs facing up at her. "That's kind of how I've felt since I met Steve." She admitted sadly, "This whole Avengers thing doesn't end, even if the fight does. I feel like even after everything, we're still just trying to survive."

"We didn't sign up for this." Natasha agreed, leaning over the chair to grab the whiskey. After she took a long swig, she released the air from her lungs and stared ahead, "But here we are. The problem isn't us trying to survive Kay. It's just that none of us know how to be regular people. Maybe for an hour or a day, but not forever. What do we do if we aren't fighting?"

Kayla knew at that moment that Nat was right. It was the purpose complex that Steve had suffered from for years with being Captain America, but she felt it in her own soul. She loved being a stay at home mom, but, she'd always been meant for such great things. It was hard to accept that this is where that journey ended. She wasn't upset that it led here, only that it ended here...

Steve's arrival was abrupt and even Zawadi startled at his quick entrance into the home. He closed and locked the door quickly, turning to the women with terrified eyes, "Nat, there's a tracker on your suit. Sam hacked into it. They're on their way. We've got to go."

"What? How do you know?" Kayla asked as both women rose to their feet. Sarah began to cry at her father's worried tone, and he forced a worried smile as he crossed the room quickly to see her, convincing her he was okay as James wandered over and grabbed his father's leg.

Steve looked up from the child to see Kayla waiting impatiently for an explanation, "Bucky called. We've got about an hour. Get the suit, we've got to get out of here."

"And where are you going to go? Lead them back to Clint? You can't tell me they haven't already looked there, we can't give them any more reason to think she'd go now. Even Barnes can't keep Sam and my dad away forever." Kayla argued as Natasha took the stairs to the guest bedroom two at a time, grabbing her never-unpacked duffle and slinging it over her shoulder before sprinting back down the stairs.

"Doesn't matter, we just have to go. I'll ditch the suit and we'll double back to Clint later." Natasha said quickly as she grabbed Steve's hand. Before leaving, she turned to Kayla, dropping her bag to the ground to give her friend a hug. "Take care, Kay. Take care of those kids and take care of yourself and Steve okay? I promise I'll be in touch when I can."

Kayla just shook her head, feeling her legs quiver as the feeling of familiarity washed over her. She didn't want to lose Natasha again. She didn't want another friend to walk away. It had been so nice the past four days having Nat around to help her with the kids and keep her company. It had been nice having someone who actually knew who she was.

"Good luck Nat." Kayla finally bleat, watching Steve grab the duffle bag and escort Natasha out to his pickup. Kayla sat on the couch with Sarah and James walked slowly over to her before tumbling against the couch. "Hey, baby. Watcha doing?"

The toddler giggled loudly and pulled against the thin fabric of Kayla's black yoga pants, and she felt the seams rip a little under the strength of his little fingers. "You are such a handful and I love you so much. You take after me." She breathed at the child, and he beamed up at her, not understanding what she was saying but enjoying the way he made her smile. Zawadi hopped up onto the couch and laid down beside Kayla, nestling his long snout next to her thigh by Sarah's face as he looked around the room without moving.

Kayla watched her son play while Sarah just stared up at her mom, trying and failing to grab the long auburn hair that fell toward her face and landed on the dog beside them. Kayla was thoroughly distracted when she heard the light knocking on the front door. She did a double take, not knowing if the knocking was real, or if she was hearing phantom thuds after so many unexpected visitors that past week.

After a couple of moments, the doorknob twisted, and Kayla stared intently at the door, waiting to see who dared try and break into her home. Steve would have opened it confidently. Besides, he would be gone for quite some time making sure Natasha was safe. The door began to open and Kayla shifted her weight, gently placing Sarah beside Zawadi as she stood, preparing to fight if need be.

Tessa gently cracked the door and whispered loudly, "Hello?"

"Tess, what are you doing here?" Kayla yelped exasperatedly, feeling the tension in her whole body deflate at the sight of her neighbor. "Why are you being so sneaky?"

"I didn't know if the kids were sleeping, I didn't want to wake them. I saw Steve and Natalie leave though. Did she get everything sorted out back home?" Tessa asked earnestly. She'd given Katie her space while her sister was around because she could sense there was a lot going on between the two of them and their family situation. Tessa noticed Sarah cuddled up next to Zawadi and James wandering slowly toward them, his arms out to his side as he made sure to keep his balance on his trek, "I was surprised you didn't go with them."

"We got in a fight. She wants to go back to Sam, and I just can't deal with that." Kayla countered, throwing her hands up defensively as she turned and walked back to the couch, "Sam called crying, asking Natalie to forgive her and she did, because she's a pushover. I told her I wouldn't support her going back to that bitch, but she didn't listen to me. I also didn't want her to have to take another sketchy Uber, so I asked Steven to drive her to the airport." Kayla mumbled, crossing her arms bitterly as she let herself fall back into the couch.

Tessa nodded thoughtfully, scooping up James as he reached up at her. She grunted as she hoisted up the heavy toddler and held him against her collarbone, "I'm sorry Kay. I know how awful family drama is. At least, was it good to catch up before everything went down?" Tessa tried lamely, wanting to make conversation but Kayla was shutting her out.

"Yeah, I guess." Kayla barked with a roll of her eyes. Then she smiled and looked up to Tessa, "Steve's gonna be gone for a few hours taking Natalie to the airport. We could lay back, pop in a movie. Lazy day?"

"Isn't Steve supposed to be at work? It's a Thursday." Tessa blurted but then blushed under Kayla's judgemental stare. "Yes, movie day sounds great. I don't care whether or not your husband plays hooky to fix _your_ family drama."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." Kayla laughed and turned on the television as Tessa parked herself on the other side of Zawadi and Sarah on the couch.

* * *

"Good call on ditching the pickup. This is a little more subtle." Natasha told Steve as she sipped her strawberry milkshake through her straw. Had Steve and Natasha stopped at McDonald's for fast food and to steal someone's little Ford Focus? Yes, yes they did.

Steve took another huge bite of his cheeseburger as he drove the black car down the highway away from his new home. He scoffed and took his eyes off the road just a moment to look at Nat, "What is it with you women thinking my truck isn't subtle?"

"It's not subtle. At all. It's huge and fancy and makes people think you have a small dick."

"Maybe I do."

"You don't. Kayla talks about it a lot."

Steve nodded once with his mouth pulled into a tight line as his cheeks turned cherry red, unsurprised by this revelation, but embarrassed nonetheless, "Sounds about right."

Natasha passed Steve her milkshake, offering him a sip. He took it silently and drank out of her straw as she watched him, "It feels like old times, Rogers."

"It does." He said, stealing another look with a coy smile, "I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss it. The thrill of the chase. Dodging bullets and traveling the world." He passed the shake back to Nat and grabbed a handful of french fries from the center console between them, "Don't get me wrong. I love being a dad. I love the quiet life, it's nice. It's just... I don't know."

"Boring. Unexciting. Dull." Natasha supplied teasingly, propping her feet up on the dash. Steve shot her a dirty look but she just shrugged, tossing another chicken nugget into her mouth. "I was bored out of my mind living with Tiffany and Kayla. Being a spy is all I've known since I was a child. Being on the run is my life, even when I was an Avenger. I was just running toward trouble instead of away from it."

"What should I do, Nat?" Steve abruptly asked what was on his mind, but it didn't surprise Natasha in the slightest. She could see he was anxious and unsure. This had been his brainchild, his plan to keep his family safe. It seemed like the only option at the time, but he wasn't sure where he fit into this real world. Neither did his wife. Suddenly he looked in the rearview mirror and noticed a pair of cop cars seemed to be following them. They kept pace with the black Focus, not passing or slowing down. Steve and Natasha turned to each other and he told her, "Looks like we've got company."

Meanwhile, back in suburbia, Kayla and Tessa laid on the couch, watching their second movie on cable. Sarah was squawking from her playpen where James pushed against the net, trying to get in with his little sister. After a few minutes, he got bored and wandered back to the couch and sat, bashing one of his sister's rattles against the ground violently.

"This, this is the life." Tessa moaned happily as she leaned deeper into the comfy cushions, "I could do this all day."

"You say that, but as someone who does do this all day, it's not all it's cracked up to be." Kayla laughed as she leaned over the side of the couch to grab her water bottle from the side table.

"This just in from the traffic center, it appears there is a high-speed chase taking place on Interstate 90, so please try to stay off the road as officials are trying to apprehend a stolen car. Surveillance cameras show a redheaded woman who looks similar to the wanted assassin Natasha Romanoff. Cameras did not get any footage of her accomplice, but it appears that she is not the one driving the car..."

It took everything in Kayla not to spit out her water all over the living room carpet as she and Tessa leaned forward toward the television to stare at the emergency news segment.

"Well, this is more exciting than a rom-com." Tessa murmured as ariel footage of a black Ford Focus showed the car careening down the highway at dangerous speeds, followed by eight flashing police cars.

Kayla tilted her head to the side, her eyes wide in disbelief, "Yeah, no kidding."

_What the hell are they thinking?_

"Can you go any faster?" Natasha screeched as she looked over her shoulder at the cars gaining on them. She had her right hand on the small of her back, ready to pull her gun if she needed to.

"Nope. This is as fast as the car goes Natasha. We can't outrun them, we'll have to outsmart them." Steve growled through clenched teeth, looking up into the rearview mirror to see their situation. He grabbed his glasses and shoved them into Nat's lap, "Take these, I can't see in the damn things."

She tried to hide her smug grin as Steve swerved the car hard to the left, sending them flying through the median and into the opposite direction of traffic. They were now heading back towards home, and only five of the eight police cars seemed brave enough to try their stunt and follow them. Natasha smirked, "Three down, five to go."

"I wouldn't get too excited, we're going to be hitting afternoon traffic. Also, there's a lot of civilians on this road-"

"Steve, just drive the damn car or I will."

Steve and Natasha turned away from the road to look at each other before flashing lights up ahead caught their attention. There was a new barricade of police cars parked up ahead, causing traffic to slow to a standstill. Steve looked in the rearview mirror and realized the five police cars were gaining on them, and the three that they'd left behind were driving up the median toward them, blocking them from pulling the same trick twice.

Steve bit the inside of his lip and accelerated, careening wildly toward the cars that were parked up ahead of him at one hundred and forty miles per hour. The people began honking wildly at the cop cars, needing to get through, and once the police realized the Focus wasn't slowing down and their bluff hadn't worked, they quickly moved and allowed the traffic to continue on.

"Nice move Rogers. I didn't think you had it in you to potentially kill innocent people." Nat gawked jokingly, but Steve inhaled as his brows rose casually.

"I wasn't planning on getting that far anyway."

Steve slammed on the breaks unexpectantly, bringing the car screeching to a stop. The cop cars that were chasing him swerved out of the way as they tried to break, but Steve was too fast, throwing the car into reverse and speeding down the road backward in the wrong direction.

Without being told, Natasha unbuckled and climbed into the backseat as Steve slipped on a pair of large aviator sunglasses to hide his face from the cops now that they were in front of him. "Take it left!" Natasha guided and Steve turned the wheel, narrowly avoiding a semi-truck as the police cars started chasing them backwards down the highway. "Swerve left again."

"Let me know when there's a break in traffic, I'm gonna swing the car around," Steve ordered, looking up in the rearview mirror past her head as he drove. Occasionally he'd steal a glance at the flashing police cruisers barreling towards him, but seeing as there were so many of them going against the flow of traffic, they were having a hard time.

"Now!" Natasha yelled and Steve hit the break and shifted the car from reverse to drive before it even got to the speed limit. He cranked the wheel violently, and the pair were once again racing forward going against the thousands of cars on the New York highway.

"Who the hell is driving that car? They're amazing..." Tessa gawked from Kayla's couch as she pointed at the television, reading Kayla's terrified stare as intrigue instead of pure horror. Kayla clenched the remote in her hand, squeezing it until her fingers turned red. She didn't realize how tightly she had gripped it until a small pop was heard and the television went off. Tessa looked around bitterly, wanting to know how the chase ended. She shoved her hair behind her ear and looked disappointedly to Kayla, "What happened to the tv"

"I, I don't know. That's weird." Kayla lied as she realized the remote was cracked in half in her palm, so she discarded it to the side of the couch. "Let me look at the cable connection."

"No worries, I'll just pull it up on my cell," Tessa assured Kayla, but it didn't make her feel any better. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see the end of this car chase or not.


	27. Chapter 27

"This evening, officials found the 2010 Ford Focus that was stolen from a McDonald's parking lot crashed into the lake beyond the former Avenger's Compound. The car was thought to be stolen by Natasha Romanoff, a former member of the Avengers, in an attempt to flee authorities. She was accompanied by an unknown man. Neither body was found in the car, but the damage is-"

Kayla turned off the tv and leaned back against the couch, running her tongue between her teeth and lip angrily. She wrung her fingers together as she breathed heavily, having been glued to the fixed television since Tessa left three hours ago. Her phone was set to loud, sitting at her side, but it had been silent. Nobody called. Nobody texted. Nobody reached out. No Bucky. No Nat. No Steve.

All of a sudden the phone rang and she jumped on it without looking, "Where the hell are you?"

"My cabin, where I live with my wife and daughter, where are you?"

"Aww, crap, sorry Tony." Kayla mumbled as she leaned her head back and massaged her temples with her free hand, "To answer your question I'm home with the kids."

"Where's the hubby?"

"Hopefully not drowning in the lake." She bit back, tilting her face to the side to see James bopping up and down to a non-existent melody next to her. The boy looked up at her and motioned with his grabby little hands.

"Dadda?"

Kayla's breath caught in her throat as she worked hard to bat away the tears in her eyes. There was a weight in her chest as she brushed her fingers through James's thickening blonde hair. He had his father's nose, and once the baby fat wore away most likely his strong jaw. Kayla hated that she considered never seeing her husband again- unless it was looking at their son.

Tony hummed on the other line, hearing the exchange, "He took Romanoff."

"He did. He got a tip from Barnes that her suit had a tracker in it. Ditched in it a fast food restaurant and stole a car. Unfortunately, security got a look at Nat before they left." Kayla explained, forcing a broad smile at the little boy that looked up at her with glistening green eyes.

"Yeah, I noticed. I had Happy go to retrieve his pickup shortly after the chase hit the news, but you tell your husband if he makes a habit of leaving it places I'm keeping it." Tony quipped, but Kayla wasn't in the mood for teasing. She pressed her eyes closed, not speaking for a moment until Tony continued, "Why don't you bring the kids out to the lake for a few days while Cap's gone. Morgan asks about your son sometimes. I'd like him to either be in her life or not. I don't want people making a habit of walking out on her."

"I'd honestly love that Tony. Thank you." Kayla answered quickly, knowing the weekend trip would be just what she needed.

"I'll send Happy in the morning for you and the kids."

"Does he..." Kayla trailed, taking a deep breath, "know- about us? About me and Steve and the kids?"

"He does. Just him and Pepper. Come, relax, the kids will play. Bring the mutt of yours so he can see the two puppies Steve brought us. Sound good?" Tony asked, but Kayla could hear in his voice that she'd be collected in the morning whether she thought it sounded good or not.

She nodded, even though he couldn't see her, that was all she could muster, "Yeah, that sounds good."

* * *

Natasha lowered herself onto the ground next to Steve as he leaned over the small pit he'd created and worked on starting a fire. The May evening air was brisk, but after walking for twenty miles through the woods near the old compound, Steve could see Natasha had grown weary, even if she wouldn't admit it. So he scooped up the Black Widow and carried her another for another ten before finding a safe place to hunker down for the night.

"You should be home with Kayla and the kids. Not out in the woods with me. You aren't on the run anymore, Rogers." Natasha told her old friend, but he just shrugged and blew gently as the small spark grew into a larger fire.

"You really think after all this time I'm gonna leave you alone, Romanoff?" Steve answered, his eyes glistening playfully in the growing firelight. "Besides, I needed this. I needed to get out of the house. I work. I make small talk with the coworkers. I come home to Kayla and the kids, who've been home all day by the way. We eat dinner, then we take turns staying up all night with Sarah."

"She's really sick isn't she?" Natasha didn't try to ease into it, she just dove right in with her question. She knew the moment that the child was born that she was sickly, and the first week of her life confirmed it. Natasha wasn't so sure the baby would make it long enough to make the two-day trip to meet her father hiding upstate in his new house.

Steve nodded, rocking himself from his feet onto his ass so he could relax, "She's like a mini-me. She has a lot of the ailments I had before the serum. It's hard, watching her suffer, knowing Kayla could fix it with her serum. But I can't do that to Sarah. Not without her consent."

"She's a baby."

"She's still a person who maybe doesn't want to be enhanced." Steve bit back, glaring at Natasha. She leaned back on her hands, looking from Steve's fiery expression to the flames themselves.

"Hmm." Natasha breathed shortly, stretching out her legs, "So you'd rather let her die a natural death than save her life unnaturally."

"I never said that." Steve's deep, angry voice rumbled, "If it came to that, of course, we'd give her the serum."

"Then save her the trouble and give it to her now."

"There are too many side effects, and we don't know how it would affect a child. We're already having a hard enough time with James and he doesn't have the serum, he just has _our_ blood. It should be diluted but he's still super strong." Steve ran his hand through his long hair, pushing it away from his face as his chest deflated a little. "I'm torn, Nat. I wasn't ready to be a father. I don't know how to be one. Maybe Steve Rogers could have figured it out, but the man who's spent eighty years as Captain America isn't so sure."

"You're so overdramatic." Natasha grumbled, "You sleep first. We'll switch when you wake up."

Steve didn't argue or insist she sleep. He laid down and rested his cheek on his arm, facing the fire as his eyelids slid closed. He let his mind wander back to his wife and kids. He imagined Kayla alone in their house, changing Sarah while James waddled around her feet, pulling on her pant leg for attention. He imagined Sarah's smile and James's laugh. He imagined Kayla's soft lips pressing against his as he laid in bed, somewhere between sleep and consciousness. Steve could draw her from memory, every curve and detail. Asleep on the dirt by that fire, Steve felt his heart pulling against his chest, pleading him to go home.

Steve didn't wake up until dawn broke over the tree line. He slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself into a sitting position. He looked around, assuming Natasha would have eventually given in to sleep and curled up near him for protection, or perhaps she'd stayed awake all through the night, keeping watch over them as she'd promised.

But she was nowhere to be found.

"Natasha!" Steve called loudly as he spun around, looking through the wilderness for his partner. He looked to the ground, seeing the imprint in the dirt where she'd been sitting as he fell asleep hours earlier. He looked from the imprint, trying to figure out which direction he went off into. She'd ditched her Black Widow suit. She was wearing flat boots, but the thick heels left slight prints in the dirt, giving Steve an idea of where Natasha Romanoff had gone.

* * *

Kayla packed a duffle bag with clothes for her and her two kids as the sun continued rising into the sky, illuminating her dark Steve-less world. She kept pushing her hair out of her face, getting annoyed to the point she finally just piled the dark red hair on top of her head in a messy bun. Her green eyes darted around the bedroom to see if there was anything she was forgetting for herself and her daughter.

Kayla heard a car horn outside and pulled aside the blinds to see Happy sitting in the driveway in a silver Mercedes Benz. She turned to Sarah, seeing the little girl staring up at her mother with pale blue eyes and a toothless smile. "Alright baby, let's go get your brother," Kayla mumbled to the child before scooping her up and pressing the little girl against her collarbone. Once Sarah was settled against Kayla's shoulder, the woman moved to her son's bedroom, seeing him already standing in his crib, waiting to be collected.

"Momma."

"Yes, James?"

"Dadda."

"No," Kayla sighed, reaching down and grabbing the heavy child easily with her right arm, "Daddy isn't here right now. He's with Auntie Nat, but he'll be home soon. We're going to go see Uncle Tony for a few days, and you get to play with Morgan."

"Dadda." James babbled again, reaching up and trying to grab at a loose strand of hair. "Momma."

"Can you saaayyy... Sarah?" Kayla chirped at the boy as she carried the two kids down the stairs, hearing Happy approach the front door. She pressed a kiss to James's forehead as the boy pressed his chubby fingers to her face, trying and failing to pronounce the R sound in his sister's name.

"Sawah."

"Close enough," Kayla grunted as she set down the boy and opened the door, gesturing for Happy to enter their home quickly before closing and locking the door. She wrapped her arms around Happy to give the man a gentle hug, "It's good to see you Happy. Thank you for picking us up."

"Anytime. Tony's very excited to have you three out for the weekend. You heard anything from your husband?" Happy asked as he took her duffle bag and moved back out to the car to put it in the trunk. After closing the trunk, he looked up and realized Kayla was standing right behind him with a smile on her face and her massive dog parked at her feet, panting. She still had Sarah on her chest, and James stood dutifully by his mother's side holding his own car seat while Kayla held Sarah's in her free hand.

"Nope. He's in the wind. What else is new?" She shrugged as she passed Sarah's car seat to Happy and took her son's with a sweet smile. "Thank you, James."

"Mmmhmm." James hummed in response and grabbed onto Kayla's leg as he stared up at Happy nervously.

"Say hello to Mr. Happy, James," Kayla instructed to the little blonde boy as he pulled on her leg, moving it slightly. Happy knelt down to see the boy better, extending his hand to give the small boy a high five. James eyed it suspiciously, looking from the hand to the bearded man behind it. Kayla nudged him slightly, with her calf, signaling for the boy to greet the older man.

James smacked his hand into Happy's and Happy waved it painfully, feeling the sting from the child's strength, "Wow, he's his father's son."

"And his mother's." Kayla scoffed, ruffling the little boy's hair. "Let's get moving, I don't want to attract any more attention."

"Hey, Katie! What are you up to this morning?"

Kayla's back stiffened at Tessa's voice and turned to see her neighbor standing by the car with her water bottle in one hand and her iPhone strapped to her upper arm. Her headphones slung loosely around her sweaty neck so she could hear Katie over the sound of her panting.

"Oh, I'm actually taking the kids to my cousin's lake house for a few days. Steve's still gone, so Harold came to pick us up." Kayla gestured to Happy, and the man seemed genuinely surprised that she knew his real name. He hadn't spent much time around Kayla Ellis, but from everything he'd heard she was pretty self-absorbed. He didn't take her as the type of woman to remember the people who worked for men she slept with.

Then again, she did save Tony Stark's life so he could survive to see his daughter grow up. The woman was full of surprises.

Happy turned and smiled at Tessa, giving the woman a short wave in greeting as she looked him up and down. He wore a suit, which seemed a little out of place for somebody who was picking up their cousin. "Steve's still not back? I thought he was taking your sister to the airport?"

"Yeah, her flight got canceled," Kayla droned as James began tottering over to Tessa to give her a hug. "He decided to just drive her straight to Ohio! He probably stayed overnight with my parents, but he's gonna meet us up at the lake once he's back in-state."

Tessa scrunched her face thoughtfully, her defined brows lowered suspiciously, "Doesn't that bother you? Him going on a road trip with your sister.. without you?"

Kayla shrugged, but she kept her expression neutral, "It's not ideal, but, it is what it is." Kayla shifted Sarah as the girl began to squirm. She held out the little girl and pressed a kiss to her nose before holding her tightly against her chest again.

Tessa picked up the chunky James and held him as Happy continued strapping in the car seats into the beautiful car. Tessa knew Katie Carter kept her secrets close to her chest, but it didn't make Tessa any less curious. "So where's the lake house at?"

"It's a surprise. She hasn't even been there yet." Happy winked at Tessa, and Kayla snorted. "What, can't a man surprise his cousin and family with a fun weekend?"

"It's needed with all the stress of Natalie's breakup with Sam. I'm not happy with her right now." Kayla mumbled, lowering Sarah into the car behind Happy and strapping her in carefully as the girl babbled nonsensical words. Once Sarah was stapped into the car in her little pink overalls, Kayla carefully pulled out of the car to face her friend and collect her son. "We'll be back in a few days. Can you and Ryan keep an eye on the house for us while we're gone?"

"Yeah, of course. Keep me posted. Let me know when Steve gets to the lake, okay? If you need anything, I'm here." Tessa offered, then pulled Katie into a hug as James clung to her legs. "I love you, Katie."

Kayla's heart pounded against her chest at the words. It made sense. They'd been close for two months and Kayla did consider Tessa her best friend in this life. She was aware that Tessa didn't spend as much time with other friends as she did with them. But the idea was still alarming, Tessa considered Katie one of her best friends.

And she didn't even know who Katie was.

"I love you too." Kayla pulled Tessa against her a little tighter, leaning her face against the brunette's head. "Thanks for being such a great friend."

Kayla felt like a fraud. It felt like a great show, and she was a fabulous actress. She needed friends in this new life, but, she had hoped she could keep them at arm's length, but Tessa let her in. Kayla's chest felt tight as she pulled away, forcing a weak smile. She reached down and heaved James into her arms so she could buckle him in behind the passenger seat. Tessa took this as a sign to go, and she nodded as she put her headphones back in and continued running.

"Ready to go?" Happy asked as Kayla clicked her tongue, calling Zawadi. He found the open door on the passenger side and jumped into the backseat between the two children. Kayla locked up the house and plopped down beside the man, giving him one of her famous smiles before telling him she was ready.


	28. Chapter 28

Steve followed Natasha Romanoff's footprints back to the highway, where they finally disappeared as she reached the road. Whether she continued walking or found a ride in a car was a mystery to the soldier, but what he couldn't deny was she was gone. He walked about ten miles in the afternoon sun until he finally stopped, placing his hands on his hips as he looked around, squinting into the light.

He finally pulled out his phone and sent another text to Natasha, knowing full well she wouldn't respond.

_Where'd you go, Nat? I've followed your tracks all the way to the road. Let me help you._

Steve hit send on the small flip phone, but as he suspected, he didn't hear a reply. After a few minutes, he felt the sweat drip down his forehead to his cheek, and he knew he needed to get out of the sun eventually. He shoved his hands in his pockets and put his head down, staring at the road ahead of him as he continued on his way toward civilization.

Natasha, on the other hand, was already far ahead of him. She sat in a booth in a coffee shop somewhere in upstate New York. She'd been here before, back when she was an Avenger. They had a great dark roast and the prices were cheap. It was also somewhere inside that she could collect her thoughts.

She could keep running and disappear, but every police station in New York was looking for her. Her best bet would be to flee into Canada and lay low long enough for the situation to blow over. That being said, she knew the situation would probably never blow over, because President Ellis wanted his grandson back, by any means necessary. Natasha's other option though was to come clean, to admit that she'd taken James and she no longer had him. She'd have to face the consequences of losing the boy, but at least they'd stop coming after her. It was the right thing to do.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number, listening as the phone rang until the deep voice finally answered on the other side.

"You ready to come back home?"

Natasha grinned, hearing a smidgen of relief in Sam Wilson's voice. "Not really ready, but it's time."

"Where can I meet you?" Sam asked quietly, and Natasha almost felt safe in the familiar sound of his voice. He didn't sound angry, he didn't sound disappointed. Sam was an honest man. A good man. He was the right man to take up the mantle of Captain America, even if that new duty meant arresting one of his best friends. "If you come in easily and bring the boy, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

"You can't promise that." Natasha quipped back, and her voice was more sad than bitter, "I did what I did to keep him safe."

"I know you did, Nat, I know. But he belongs with his family. They want to know he's safe." Sam prodded, feeling like he had a grip on the situation for the first time in months. "Can I tell President Ellis that you're coming in?"

"Not yet. I talk to you first. Alone. Then you can talk to the President." Natasha negotiated, knowing Sam would never forgive her for not bringing James. He wouldn't understand.

Sam clenched his fist, looking up at the team of FBI agents who were already contacting Mathew and Sandra Ellis. "Alright. I'll come alone."

"Don't even bring Barnes. Just you and me. I'll bring the kid."

"Tomorrow night. Six o'clock-"

"Meet me outside the old Avengers Compound." Natasha interrupted, setting the terms of her surrender, "See you then." Then she hung up and the line clicked dead. She knew that Sam wouldn't come alone. She only hoped that she could say her peace and escape before they could catch her.

Sam pushed himself away from the table and stood next to Bucky, who stared ahead at the wall with a stiff jaw. He knew Natasha didn't have James. She was turning herself in empty-handed. Sam stared along with Barnes, leaning his head toward the Winter Soldier slightly as he spoke, "These guys aren't going to let me go alone."

"They'll kill her," Bucky muttered under the guise of a deep breath. "Go tonight. Find her before they do."

"I don't know where she is Barnes, how the hell am I supposed to find her?" Sam hissed as an agent handed him his shield. He gave the woman a firm nod and turned on his heels, leading Bucky out of the FBI headquarters in New York.

"I'll make a few calls, pull a few threads. I'll let you know if anything pans out." Bucky mumbled, pulling his black jacket over his broad shoulders. Sam shot him a curious look, but Barnes didn't respond. He just pushed his hand through his long hair and left Sam behind.

* * *

Happy pulled the Mercedes-Benz into the driveway of Tony's lake cabin, and the two Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies came bounding toward the car, barking as Happy returned. When he parked the car, he carefully opened the door and yelled at the two young dogs to sit, but they jumped up onto Happy anyway.

Kayla pushed open the door and opened the one to the backseat, allowing the massive Zawadi to barrel out and begin playing with his kids, distracting them from Happy. "Yeah, go play with him, keep each other company! Away from me!" Happy yelled at the dogs as they went sprinting towards the lake.

"Kayla Dawn Rogers, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" Tony called from the porch as Pepper descended the stairs to greet their guests.

When Pepper reached Kayla, she wrapped her arms around the woman, holding her tightly. She hadn't seen the woman since her husband's funeral. It was several days later she found out Kayla had saved him. "Thank you." She breathed into Kayla's ear as she held her close, "Thank you for saving my husband."

"I didn't expect it to work in all honesty." Kayla admitted lightly, "But I'm glad it did. And I'm glad he helped save my life so I could be with my kids."

By now, Tony was with the two women, reaching out to embrace Kayla himself, "It's good to see you. I'm glad our plan worked. You haven't had any issues with the serum?" He asked as he released her, backing away and holding her arms to get a good look at her in her tank top and jeans. She looked as she once had: tall, fit, and beautiful.

"It's been good. And you?" She asked nervously, taking in the man before her. She'd worked on a cure for Bruce, in case he ever changed his mind about the whole Professor Hulk thing. She'd found a way to prevent the damage of Gamma Radiation, and worked it into her serum. She'd never tested it, until the moment Tony Stark prepared to snap his fingers and destroy Thanos. With one small dose of super soldier serum to ensure internal healing and two shots of Gamma protection, Kayla had taken a great chance in order to save her friend.

It appeared to have worked as planned.

"I've been good. Better than ever. Although, since you're here, I wouldn't be opposed to a checkup." Tony suggested as Happy popped the trunk, allowing the billionaire to grab Kayla's duffle bag. "Let me show you guys to your room. I moved Morgan's old crib up there for your daughter.

"Thank you, Tony." Kayla began unstrapping James to release the child and let him go play. Morgan came sprinting from her tent once she realized there was another child to play with.

"Who's this?" She squeaked loudly, pointing at James as Kayla set him on the ground. The little brunette girl stared at James with his wispy blonde hair and chubby cheeks, then looked up to Kayla, remembering her from months earlier. "Auntie Kayla?"

Kayla knelt to the ground and opened her arms to see if the child would give her a hug, but James just moved into her arms and intercepted the affection, causing Kayla to laugh loudly, "It's good to see you again Morgan. Do you remember James? He was a tiny baby last time you saw him."

"I remember him! He can walk now? Can he play?" She asked as she moved closer to Kayla and James, poking the little boy with her tiny finger.

"Morgan!" Pepper scolded as James fell over onto his butt, looking up at the older girl with terror, "Just because he can walk doesn't mean you can push him around."

"Look at our kids, knocking each other out. Just like their fathers." Tony joked, but Kayla wasn't amused, sending a dirty look toward the man before pulling James back to his feet. Once standing, he took two short steps to Morgan and poked her hard against the chest, knocking her to the ground. Tony went from joking to mortified in a moment as he fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Morgan. "Are you okay sweetheart? Did the mean boy hurt you?"

"Mean? He's ten months old, he doesn't understand." Kayla moaned, standing to her full height before wandering to the driver's side to unbuckle Sarah. "Plus!" She called over the car as James stared at Morgan sitting on the ground, eyeing him wearily, "She poked him first."

Pepper chuckled as Morgan pushed away from Tony to stand in front of the chubby baby, keeping herself a few inches away from the boy. Finally, she took a leap of faith and closed the gap, wrapping her thin arms around his shoulders. James seemed confused by the movement but knew what a hug was, so he wrapped his chubby little arms around Morgan in return. Pepper pressed her hand to her chest, tilting her head as she watched the adorable exchanged, "Look, Tony, love is in the air."

"My daughter will never be a Rogers." Tony spat, and even though he was joking, Kayla snorted at the idea of their children ending up together. But that wasn't something they'd worry about for quite some time. "The grill's heating up. Lunch will be ready in about ten minutes if you want to get everyone settled." Tony added as he started walking back toward the house, clasping his hands together as he looked to the lake where the three dogs were splashing in the water beyond the dock. "After lunch, you can do that checkup."

* * *

Steve pulled open the glass door of the restaurant he found near the old Avenger's Compound. He'd remembered them as a little startup almost a decade ago, but they seemed to be booming after the snap. He only wished he didn't have to be there alone.

He told the hostess it was just him, and he offered to sit at the counter so he wasn't taking up a booth during the busy lunch hour. Once seated, he began to peruse the menu, finding something eat until his phone began buzzing in his jeans pocket.

"Hello?" He greeted gruffly, not recognizing the number on the screen. He ordered a water and a cheeseburger, holding his hand to the bottom of his phone as he waited for the person on the other end to speak.

"Where's Natasha? She contacted Sam this morning. Set up a meeting for him tomorrow night at the Avenger's Compound."

Steve rubbed the bridge of his nose, hearing the frustration in Bucky's voice. "I lost her. She left in the night while I was asleep. I'm still around the compound though, which means she probably is too."

"Sam is hoping to find her tonight instead of tomorrow. If he goes tomorrow, the FBI will be with him, and they won't hesitate to execute her if it comes to it. Especially if she comes without the kid." Bucky cautioned, looking at the busy street near the phone booth he found. He'd locked himself in there and kept a close eye on the security camera across the street that was zoned in on him. He was being suspicious, but as long as they didn't know who he called, Steve would stay safe.

"I'll keep looking for her. She's got to be around here somewhere. Sam's planning on coming to the compound tonight?"

"Yeah. Get her there if you can. Or get her far away. I know Ellis gave Sam the authority to get your son back by any means necessary. He's pulling all the authority he has on this. Everyone's waiting with bated breath to see Captain America bring Ellis's grandchild back home."

"I know. It'll kill him when she shows up without James." Steve mumbled, leaning his elbows against the counter as the waitress set his water down before him. He thanked the woman and took a long, slow drink without speaking. "They'll kill her if they think she hurt him. Or worse, if they think he's dead."

"Good luck Steve. Be safe okay?"

"Thanks, Buck. You too."

The line went dead and Steve shoved his phone into his pocket just as his burger arrived. He smiled grandly at the waitress and she winked at the man, not recognizing the former Captain America beneath the dark rims of his glasses. He took a bite of his burger and chewed thoughtfully, knowing he should call his wife. But if he did call her, he'd have to admit he was stranded in New York without transportation or Natasha Romanoff.

Without warning, the waitress slid him a napkin with her number in it and flirtily bit her lip. Steve's jaw dropped open a little and inhaled sharply as he prepared to take another huge bite of his burger. "Oh, umm, I-"

"You're married, that's awkward." The waitress said as she caught sight of his ring and quickly grabbed the napkin back and tossed it behind her onto the floor. "Sorry, uh, lunch is on me."

Before Steve could argue, she scurried away, and he pulled a twenty out of his wallet and left it by the plate anyway, taking a final bite of his burger before continuing his search for Natasha.

What Steve didn't realize was that Nat sat silently in a booth by the window, wearing a black baseball cap low on her head as she sipped her black coffee and ate chicken fingers. She watched Steve leave out of the corner of her eye, then followed where he went, knowing the safest place for her was near Steve Rogers.

**_Author's Notes: I'm loving how nervous you all are about Tessa! Don't be too worried. At least not yet. _**

**_Siobhan- _**_They do really care about each other. Kayla needs someone "normal" in her life. It's helping her adjust in a world where she has to be separated from everyone except Steve and the kids. I'll be honest, I loved how Endgame ended, however, fan fiction can always improve it! Haha! I've loved writing Tony Stark into this, and we'll be seeing a lot more of him. _


	29. Chapter 29

After lunch, James and Morgan found entertainment in each other, as Morgan was faster, but James was stronger, so they played a neverending game of chase where Morgan led him all over the house. Pepper did the dishes as Tony deposited a medical kit onto the kitchen table and pulled up holographic screens where they had just been eating.

"FRIDAY, pull up my vitals please," Tony called and the AI did as she was asked, showing all of his vital signs in front of Kayla. She stared at them lazily, looking for any anomalies. Tony simply leaned against one of his wooden chairs, watching Kayla as her green eyes scanned the information before her.

"I'm not seeing anything to be alarmed about Tony." She informed him, looking over his shoulder as he moved from the chair to a beam by the staircase. "I can take blood if you want, run diagnostics on that. I'm not a doctor though."

"Wouldn't be the first time you studied blood samples." Tony taunted. As Kayla stared at him, he just grinned at her, waiting for some response. She didn't give him one. After a few moments, he broke down and his smile fell just a little as he looked to the ground, "If you would, I'd appreciate it. Just to be safe."

"You're paranoid," Kayla answered, but opened the medical kit anyway, never taking her eyes off of the eccentric hero, "How have you been feeling?"

"Great actually. Really good. You're very good at what you do, Mrs. Rogers." He gestured to the kit, and Kayla lazily looked down and saw the note she'd written her formula on. She grabbed it and read it silently, occasionally mouthing words as she scanned her own scrawling penmanship. Tony lowered his head to get a better look at her expression before he continued, "Why did you send it to Pepper?"

"I couldn't trust a living soul with my formula. Especially knowing the Red Skull was after me. I sent it to Pepper... just in case Bruce had lied to me about... you know, saving you not working." Kayla mumbled quietly, looking to the kids to make sure they weren't listening. Morgan and James giggled loudly as she turned and put up her hand at him like Iron Man, pretending to blast him before turning and running away again. Only Sarah sat in her playpen nearby, staring up at her mother with a goofy smile. "I left a version formula for Bruce. A fake one, just in case this whole thing was an elaborate rouse to get my formula and get me out of the picture. Banner never got it, which makes me think it was."

Tony nodded as Kayla pulled on two sky blue gloves, then put together a syringe to take a blood sample from Stark. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about, but, with Morgan around- I can't risk there being any side effects. I've been meaning to get you out here for a while. Check up on you and Cap. See how the kids are doing. I figured since Romanoff is on the run it could be a good time to get away."

"It would have been perfect if Steve hadn't gone AWOL. I haven't heard from him since he left with Nat yesterday morning." Kayla grumbled as she gently pushed the needle under Tony's skin, drawing a steady flow of blood. "I know he's fine, I just wish he'd call..."

"That sounds like Rogers." Tony sneered as he pulled his sleeve down, looking at Kayla from over the top of his dark tinted glasses, "Doing what he thinks is right without giving it a second thought."

"You know, I think part of that comes from Erskine's original formula. It changes brain chemistry."

"No shit?"

"Tony, language." Pepper yelped from the sink, turning to look at her husband and nod toward the two children chasing each other nearby. They were none the wiser, but Tony was already giving their daughter bad habits. Pepper didn't want to be responsible for James picking them up too.

Kayla chuckled as she used her teeth to pull off her right glove, gently maneuvering the blood sample into the computer backing of the medical kit for testing. "Yeah. I worked on that part a lot. I suffered a lot from it the first time. It's something I was able to overcome with my later revisions of the formula." She looked up at Stark with a piqued eyebrow, "So if you're feeling a little extra you...you can't blame me. That's just your winning personality."

"Yeah, you almost had him using the serum as an excuse for his behavior with that," Pepper warned as she finished drying the last plate before wondering to the table and pulling up a chair. "He used to be in a lot of pain. He's not anymore."

"Rapid healing is a side effect. In fact, it's the point." Kayla replied as she began moving the holographic screens in front of Tony and Pepper, studying the results as FRIDAY displayed them. "I gave you a very small dose. Just enough to keep you from dying. Took a little longer to kick in because of the gauntlet, but that was a possibility. Did the same thing for me."

"I just need to make sure I'm safe around Morgan and Pepper." Tony reiterated, and Kayla threw him a pointed look. Did he think she was an idiot? He met her glance with a judgemental one of her own, "Like you, I didn't ask for this. Am I thankful, yes, of course I am. But I can't put my family in danger."

Kayla typed away on the floating screen and finally zoomed in on Tony's test results. The man and his wife leaned forward, taking a closer look as Kayla pointed, "You're fine, Tony. I promise. There are no signs of Gamma Radiation in your system, I flushed that out. It just worked to kick start the serum. Even then, it's a very small dose- as you can see. You aren't nearly as good looking as my husband and I." Kayla jabbed, but Pepper just smiled and wrapped her slim arm around Tony's chest as he pretended to be in shock from Kayla's teasing.

"That's just rude." He pointed at Kayla, but she just closed the medical kit and turned off the screens with a wave of her hands. Tony studied her, seeing the sadness in her eyes, "Cap was so sure you'd be happy with this arrangement. Looking at you now, I'm not so sure."

"I just wish he'd come home. And I wish Natasha wasn't wanted for kidnapping my son, and I wish my parents knew I was alive. I just wish things were different. But I know they can't be. Tony, Pepper, the woman- the prosecutor, she... she wasn't a lawyer. She was working with Red Skull, when I was on the stand, I saw him... I can't risk it." Kayla sat herself down with a thump as she sat backward on a chair, resting her chin on the chair back. "I wish I hadn't taken the Soul Stone."

"You saved Romanoff. You saved me. You did a good thing." Tony assured Kayla as he knelt down to meet her eyes, "You meant well."

"Tell that to the people who Red Skull killed that night." She snapped, grinding her teeth together as she fought back tears, "Tell that to Tiffany."

Suddenly a loud shriek was heard from the family room as Morgan tripped and fell against the fireplace, skinning her arm. Tony jumped to his feet, but Pepper put a hand on his shoulder and went to check on the girl, finding James was sitting next to her, patting her leg supportively as she cried.

Kayla let her face fall behind the chair, pressing her forehead against it, "I sent you the real formula because I thought you could do something good with it. If anyone could think of a good way to use that type of serum, it was Tony Stark."

"Well, I'm not going to do anything with it without your input. But I'd like to think we'll be seeing a lot of each other. We'll work something out. As much as I hate to admit it, my daughter seems to really enjoy your son. I mean, I'm more fun, but it's nice that she has other kids around." Tony admitted as he pulled out the chair next to Kayla, leaning against the table as he crossed his leg over his knee.

Kayla followed his gaze to the fireplace where James sat next to Morgan, watching Pepper as she cleaned up Morgan's scrape. "You gonna homeschool her?"

"Yeah, we think she'll be a gifted kid. She's already starting to play with the suits in the garage."

"That's not very safe." Kayla snorted in return as Morgan hopped off the brick fireplace and reached up, pulling James down to the ground with her and began their chase again. "But she is her father's daughter."

"He more like you or dad?" Tony asked, nodding toward James as he tackled Morgan to the ground, causing the little girl to squeal loudly.

Kayla shrugged, "He's ten months old. At this point, it could go either way."

* * *

Steve paid his taxi driver in cash as the man dropped off the soldier a few miles from the old Avenger's Compound. Nobody seemed to be around, even though the remaining Avengers were beginning to rebuild from the generosity of Stark Industries. Perhaps they weren't planning on moving back in until construction was finished. Either way, Steve was glad to be alone as he searched for his friend.

The compound was silent except for the soft crunching of Steve's boots on the dirt as he slowly walked toward the building. There were cranes all around, but the main building seemed once again intact. Steve felt better coming back here, knowing it wasn't the place Tony Stark took his last breathes. Thank goodness for Tony Stark. He wouldn't have his wife without him.

A twig broke to Steve's left and he spun around, clenching his fist. He felt naked without his shield. He had no gun, no knife, no weapons. If whoever was here wanted to disarm him, he'd have nothing but his strength and wits to fight with.

"It's just me." Natasha said quietly as she emerged from behind a large tree, her hands in front of her defensively. "It's just me."

"Sam's coming for you tonight. Buck called me and warned me."

"I know. I overheard." Natasha admitted with a sly smile. "You should go though, otherwise Sam will know you're alive. The more people who know, Steve...the more dangerous it becomes for you and your family."

Steve shook his head, approaching the redhead, "You are a part of my family. I can't leave you here alone. Sam could kill you. You promised him James and you don't have him."

"That's my decision, Rogers. Let me do this." Natasha argued, but Steve's eyes fluttered to the sky as he heard the light buzzing of Sam's wings approaching. Natasha knew it too, so she pressed her hand to Steve's cheek, gaining his attention quickly, "At least hide, Steve."

Steve took her suggestion and hid behind the tree she'd emerged from, watching as Sam landed a hundred feet away, staring at Natasha. Nat's loose hair blew in the wind as she approached Sam, and he met her halfway, about fifty feet from where Steve was hiding.

"Romanoff." Sam called as he got closer to the Black Widow, and she beamed in return.

"Sam."

"Where's the kid, Nat?" Sam asked evenly, finally reaching Natasha. She walked in a circle with Sam, stopping when Steve was positioned behind the Falcon's back. Sam was none the wiser to her ploy, but Steve felt his chest deflate as he watched the conversation from the safety of the woods.

"He's safe," Natasha admitted truthfully as she shifted her boots in the dirt, leveling with Sam, "I promise, he's somewhere safe."

"We had a deal, Natasha. You said you'd bring James. Where is he? His family wants him back. It's the last bit of Kayla they have left Nat, you have to understand that?" Sam pleaded to his old friend, reaching out to put his gloved hand on her arm. "Please Natasha, where is the boy? If I don't come back with the boy, I have to come back with you."

Natasha nodded a little, rocking her torso back and forth as she contemplated her options. She knew what she had to do- protect the boy and his family. Whatever it takes.

"Sam, he's... he's dead. Schmidt came for him before the gala. He... he killed James. I tried to stop him, but he incapacitated me. I didn't run away to keep him safe... I ran away because I couldn't face Steve and Kayla after I failed." Natasha lied, swallowing hard to make her story seem believable as she started to tear up. "I couldn't save him."

There was a loud knock on the door of the Ellis residence. Mathew and Sandra both looked up from the dinner table, and Mathew rose when the noise happened again, quickly making his way to his front door. He looked through the peephole, then turned to his wife with questioning eyes before opening it. "Sergent Barnes?"

"President Ellis. You have to call off the hunt for Natasha Romanoff."

Sam's lower jaw quivered at Natasha's revelation. His heart plummeted in his chest. He'd failed. He couldn't bring James home safe to his family. He couldn't bring James home safe for Steve. He'd thought he could trust Natasha to tell him the truth. He was wrong.

"Sam, I'm sorry. I didn't take James. I just- I didn't know what to do. I couldn't admit that I didn't save him. That I couldn't save him-"

"You're lying." Sam finally said, taking a deep breath and a step closer. "I've seen the footage of you leaving the apartment. With James in your arms."

Natasha's sad eyes turned cold and her jaw set as she reached for the gun behind her back. "Sam... you don't know what you're talking about."

"You're lying to me. Why? Where the hell is James?!" Sam screamed back at Natasha, clenching his shield in his left hand and reaching for his gun on his right side. "Tell me where he is!"

"Natasha isn't hiding your grandson," Bucky told Mathew and Sandra quickly as the older blonde woman stood from her seat and sprinted to her husband.

"Where is he? We are his closest living relatives, we want him here with us." Sandra snarled, grabbing Bucky's left arm before she pulled her hand away, feeling the cold metal beneath his jacket.

Bucky shook his head, grabbing both of her hands in his, "No, you're not." Sandra and Matt looked at each other, and he pulled out his cell phone and began typing in a phone number feverishly, waiting for whoever was on the other line to pick up.

Natasha and Sam pulled their guns out at the same time, aimed at each other, but Sam had one great advantage: a vibranium shield. He ignored the ringing of his phone. If he let his guard down, he would die at the hands of the Black Widow.

"Sam, please. You just need to trust me." Natasha pleaded, and Sam could see a hint of real, true fear in her eyes. She knew she was outmatched, and if she killed Sam, she'd never be free again.

"I can't Natasha." Sam sobbed quietly, "I can't trust you, because I don't understand. What have you done?"

"Please Sam, don't do this," Natasha begged, and her eyes fluttered to the side for just a moment to catch a glimpse of movement behind Sam.

Sam shook with anger, frustration, and sadness. He felt betrayed. He felt lied to. "I'm giving you one more chance Romanoff. Where is the boy?"

Natasha smiled sadly at her old friend, "That's not my secret to tell."

Natasha moved her gun quickly, shooting at the center of the shield and Sam retaliated by shooting just above her shoulder, but to his alarm, the bullet struck the last person he'd expected.

* * *

Kayla was reading a book to James and Morgan by the light of the fireplace when Sarah began sobbing wildly in her crib. Kayla quickly handed the book to Morgan, who had been resting against her Auntie Kayla's arm, and moved to the playpen that was positioned just to the right of the fireplace. "Shhh, what is it baby? What's wrong honey?" Kayla scooped up her daughter, but the girl wouldn't stop wailing uncontrollably. Kayla smelled her, trying to figure out if she needed to be changed. She'd been sound asleep when something set her off.

Pepper came running down the stairs in her bathrobe, followed quickly by Tony in his pajamas and slippers, "What's happening? What's wrong?" He asked quickly as he scooped Morgan up off the couch. The girl curled into his chest as Sarah continued to cry, and Kayla just bounced her up and down, looking up at Pepper and Tony for help.

"I- I don't know. She just started crying. Woke up from a dead sleep. I don't know what's wrong. What- what should I do?"

"Momma." James babbled as he slipped off the couch and crawled over to his mother where she sat on the side of the fireplace, "Momma is Sawah alwight?"

Kayla looked down at the boy and forced a terrified smile to convince him she was, "Yes James, she's fine. Just a little fussy that's all."

It would come to pass that the girl wasn't just fussy after all.


	30. Chapter 30

"Steve? Steve!" Sam cried out as Steve stumbled forward, feeling the bullet pierce his shoulder blade. Natasha wrapped her arms around him, but the brawny man was too heavy, and when he allowed his legs to give out beneath his weight, he took her down with him. Sam lunged to the ground, grabbing onto his friend and flipping him onto his back, releasing Natasha, "What the hell Steve? Where have you been? What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too, Cap." Steve chuckled, but the movement rumbled from his stomach to his chest and caused him to hiss in pain. He grabbed his shoulder with his left hand as Natasha wiped his blonde hair away from his face as he began to sweat. "How have you been?"

"I just shot you! We need to get you to a doctor!" Sam yelped back, but Steve just grabbed his right arm, holding him down with Natasha and himself.

"No. No, I'll be fine. I just- maybe need a ride home." Steve admitted as he allowed Sam to pull him into a sitting position. Natasha ripped off the bottom half of her shirt and pressed the thin material to Steve's bullet wound. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you, Sam. We didn't want to incriminate you."

Sam looked from Steve to Natasha, eyes wide, "What do you mean 'incriminate' me? What kind of trouble are you in, Rogers?"

"I'm raising my family. And trying to keep my friend from getting shot." He groaned, turning to smile at Natasha.

"You shouldn't have dove in front of me. That was a warning shot." Nat continued to push the shirt against Steve's shoulder as she eyed Sam, "Speaking of which, what the hell was that?"

"You went straight for the shield. You wanted me to shoot you. I knew I couldn't if that was your plan." Sam countered, calling Natasha's bluff as he sat on his ass and allowed Steve to lean against him for balance. "Who all knows, man?"

"Natasha and Bucky. That's it." Steve admitted, omitting Tony to keep his own secret safe. He didn't want to lie to Sam, but he had promises he had to keep too.

Sam nodded a little, a sly grin forming across his face, "I'm gonna kill Barnes."

"Please don't," Steve whined to Sam as Natasha fished a bottle of water out of Sam's pack and poured it on his wound. "Please keep this quiet Sam. I'm keeping my family safe. Schmidt is still out there. The more people who think I'm dead, the safer my kids are."

"Kids?" Sam perked up at the plural form of the word, realizing Steve's daughter had survived. "The girl?"

"Sarah. She's with James. A friend is watching them. I have to keep them safe Sam, please..." Steve trailed off, but Sam had already made up his mind. He'd never tell a soul that Steve Rogers was still alive.

"You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt you and the kids. I'm just sad I haven't been able to see him all these months. I still have his Christmas present at the apartment that I bought in November." Sam confessed with a sad smile, "Will I ever see him again?"

"Yes. We'll figure something out, I promise." Steve said as Natasha found a pair of pliers from Sam's pack and began to lean toward his shoulder, "Oh, you're not getting the bullet out with those-"

"It's that or you have a bullet in your shoulder for the rest of your life," Natasha grumbled as she went to work, and Sam held Steve's other shoulder as he winced, taking the brunt of the pain as Natasha pried the metal from his skin. Once it was out, she discarded the bullet and poured the rest of the water on Sam's pliers, washing away the blood. "See, all better."

"Thanks, Nat."

"You took a bullet for me, Rogers. I should be thanking you."

"I'm sorry I shot at you." Sam interrupted, but Natasha just waved her hand dismissively.

"As I said, it was a warning shot." Natasha slurred, pushing herself to her feet. Sam followed suit and the two of them helped heave Steve to his feet. The blonde man swayed a little as he clenched his teeth. He may be a super soldier, but he still didn't enjoy getting shot.

Sam pulled out his cell phone, seeing several missed calls from President Mathew Ellis. "It's your father-in-law." He called the number back and Mathew answered on the first ring, asking if everyone was alright. Sam scoffed a little, looking at his friends, "Yeah, we are alright. I, uh, I think we may need to stop chasing Natasha Romanoff though. She doesn't have your grandson-" He began to explain, but stopped abruptly when the man on the other line began talking over him. Sam's eyes darted up to Steve, who tilted his head questioningly. "I understand sir. We'll be there as soon as we can. Goodbye."

"What was that about?" Natasha asked as she leaned into Steve, letting his arm drape over her shoulder to steady himself. He seemed a little dazed, but he wouldn't admit he was just nervous about his wife's reaction to him being shot.

Sam hit a button on the sleeve of his suit and suddenly the roof of the compound opened and a quinjet rose into the air and landed just beyond the trio. "We're being summoned by the former President. He wants to see you."

Steve looked from Sam to the quinjet. This wasn't exactly the 'laying low' lifestyle that he was trying to uphold. Kayla would have him dead and buried if her parents found out he was alive.

"They already know, Steve. Barnes told them." Sam explained as the back of the jet opened, allowing them transportation to the Ellis residence. "I'll even drop you off at home after."

"Honestly, I'll take the train," Steve mumbled, but followed Sam into the jet anyway, allowing Nat to be his crutch as he walked. He was lightheaded, but he knew he'd have to face his in-laws if he wanted them to leave Natasha alone. He'd have to explain himself if he wanted to return to his new life.

"Is she alive?"

Steve lifted his head quickly at Sam's question, his brows high, "What?"

"Kayla. Is she alive?" Sam repeated without looking back from the sky ahead as he flew them toward the Ellis ranch. "Did you really let your wife get executed, or did you pull some stunt to keep her alive?"

Steve smiled to himself but didn't say anything. Sam finally spared a look over his shoulder and saw Steve's beaming smile, knowing his answer. "That's fine. Keep your secrets. But you'd better give her a call. I'm sure she's worried sick about you."

Steve pulled out his cell phone and dialed Kayla's number, watching Sam's reaction as the phone began to ring. Kayla answered on the first ring, which surprised Steve because it was about time for her to put James to bed. "Hey, Kay."

"Where the hell are you, Steve? I've been worried sick about you-you could have called me." Kayla snarled over the phone, but Steve could hear the way her voice broke. She was holding back tears, trying to be angry, but he'd caused her to worry again.

"I'm sorry Kay, I'm here now. I'll be home tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Kayla hissed quietly as she paced, making sure not to wake up her two sleeping children sharing the bedroom with her in Stark's cabin, "Why tomorrow? Come to the cabin. Tony invited us to stay for a few days. James and Morgan are having a great time. You could use the break. Please, come be with us."

"I can't tonight Kay. I'll be home first thing in the morning, I promise. I'll take the train up, can you meet me at the station?" Steve compromised, but Kayla just huffed on the other end, unhappy that she wasn't getting her way.

There was a beat of silence before she answered, "I'm so mad at you, Steven."

"You'll be madder when you hear what I did," Steve mumbled, knowing full well Kayla would catch it and the sooner he admitted he'd been shot by Sam, the sooner they could move on from it.

Another beat of silence hung in the air as Natasha turned to Steve, hearing Kayla's lack of words through the receiver. Finally, Kayla spoke, "What happened?"

"Sam was going to shoot Natasha-"

"You jumped in front of the gun, didn't you?"

Steve clamped his mouth shut, noticing there wasn't any anger in Kayla's words, but a knowing tone. "Yes."

Another deep sigh emanated from the other end of the phone, "You gonna be okay?" Kayla knew her husband better than anybody. She knew every reckless, noble bone in his body, and she'd expect nothing less from him.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. Sam and Nat took care of me. There's another thing- not my fault..." Steve trailed off, looking out the window at the darkening sky. "Bucky told your parents I was alive. To get them to leave Nat alone. I'm on my way to see them right now."

"You can't tell them I'm alive, Steve. We can't go through this again. I can't- I can't let them hope again." Kayla whimpered into the phone, cradling it close to her face as she held back the sob growing in the back of her throat. She wanted to see her parents so badly. She wanted them to know she was alive. But they couldn't. Because if they knew she was alive, they'd want to see her, and then people would realize she was alive, and that would put everyone in danger. The first time she faked her death, she did it selfishly, to live the life she wanted. This time, she did it out of necessity, to save her family.

Perhaps someday they'd understand.

"I won't Kay. I promise. I'll take care of it." Steve answered. His chest rose and fell as he breathed deeply, feeling a sense of worry and relief at the same time. Worry about what he'd have to do. Relieved to hear his wife's voice. She wasn't angry with him, she just wanted him home safe. It's what he wanted for himself, too.

Kayla sat on the bed, looking to the side where James slept soundly against the pillow of the king-sized bed. She studied the boy, knowing someday he'd be just as reckless as his father, and then she'd be worried twofold. "I love you, Steve. I'll see you in the morning." She whispered, laying down beside her son and staring at the log ceiling as she cradled the phone against her ear, trying to catch every word, every breath, that arrived from the other side.

"I love you too Kay. So much. Give the kids a kiss from me. Tell them Daddy's coming home." Steve's voice dropped as he shifted, hiding the low hiss that erupted from his lips as he turned wrong and sent pain through his healing shoulder. "Goodnight, darling."

"Goodnight."

Kayla hung up first, letting her hand go limp and her phone fall to the floor. She rolled over to face James, her hands tucked up under his pillow as she watched her son sleep. She could hear the gentle wheeze of Sarah's breathing coming from the crib beside her, alerting Kayla that her daughter was fast asleep. She saw Steve Rogers in both her kids. The good, the bad, and the wonderful. Knowing her husband would be with her soon enough, Kayla let her eyes close and drifted off into a happy sleep.

Sam landed the quinjet just before nine o'clock, but the late hour didn't seem to faze Steve's in-laws. As soon as the engine was off, Sandra was sprinting across the field toward the jet, running up the plank to embrace Steve in a hug before he could even step foot on the ramp.

"Steve. Oh- Steve I can't believe you're alive." Sandra breathed as she squeezed the super-soldier fondly, not letting go until her husband was by her side. The moment Sandra let go of the soldier, Mathew wrapped his arms around his son-in-law, patting him on the back as he stifled a cry.

"We're so thankful you're here Steve. You have James, right?" Mathew asked as he pulled away, still holding Steve's upper arms tightly as he stared at the man.

Steve nodded, trying to smile despite the pain in his shoulder, "I do. I have both of them. James and Sarah are back home with a friend. I'm sorry I didn't come forward with the truth sooner. It's just been really hard since..." Steve trailed off, pushing his hand through his messy hair as he looked to the ground in shame. "I'm so sorry."

"She's really gone?" Sandra asked, expecting Steve to tell her that he had their daughter safe at home, but even Captain America couldn't save everybody. She forced back her tears by batting her eyes fiercely, and forged a bittersweet smile on her face, "At least we still have you and the kids. You're keeping them safe, and that's all we can really ask for... do you think we could see them sometime?"

"I'll do my best Mrs. Ellis." Steve admitted formally, raising his head to meet the woman's gaze, "I have to be honest, we need to keep the news of us being alive a secret. Johann Schmidt is responsible for Kayla's death. He's still out there and he's after me. I can't let him know about my children. He'll kill them too. Even being with you right now is putting them in grave danger."

"I just want to meet my granddaughter Steve. Just once if that's all you can risk. We've lost everything." Sandra let the tears fall freely and Natasha stepped up to embrace the woman, apologizing profusely for all the trouble she'd caused.

"No, Miss Romanoff, it's us who owe you an apology. We see now why you took James. He belongs with his father and sister. We are terribly sorry for all the trouble we've caused you, Natasha. Whatever you need, we'll take care of it. It's what Kayla would have wanted." Mathew clasped his hand onto Nat's shoulder as she nodded weakly, but didn't speak. She couldn't bring herself to lie to Kayla's parents.

Bucky stood on the steps of the house, watching the exchange with his hands in his pockets. Steve looked up as Matt and Sandra talked to Natasha, meeting his friend's eyes. The Winter Soldier pounded down the steps and easily crossed the yard to join his friends, only removing his hands from his pockets when he approached Steve to give him a big hug.

"I'm sorry I told them. I just knew it would never end, or it would end badly. They needed to know the boy was safe. Now they do." Bucky said quietly in Steve's ear as Steve patted him strongly on the back.

"You did the right thing Buck. It's good to see you."

"You aren't going to tell them about-"

"No. It would be too hard. We're going to fade away and keep our distance. It's bad enough they know they have two grandchildren growing up without them. I can't let them bear the weight of her, too." Steve whispered, dropping his head after meeting Sandra's gleeful eyes. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he had to protect his family first and foremost, even if it meant hurting the people he cared about.

Sandra led Natasha, Sam, and her husband toward Steve and Bucky, knowing this was the extent of reunion she would get. She looked terribly sad as she prepared to say goodbye. "I know you'll take good care of them, Steve. Please find a way for us to see them, I beg of you. They... they are our daughter's legacy. We'd like to be a part of their lives. Even if it's when they are very young. Please."

"I promise. I'll be in touch. I'll contact you through Sam." Steve nodded to his friend, and Sam smiled as he sidled up next to Bucky, his shield strapped tightly to the back of his suit. Steve embraced Sandra one more time, leaning in to whisper in her ear, "Please be safe."

She just nodded in response, and backed away, allowing Steve to follow Bucky to his black car while Natasha and Sam went into the quinjet together, dividing the lock from the key. The car's wheels spun wildly on the dirt road as Bucky whipped them away from the brick house, just as the jet disappeared into the cloud-filled night sky.

* * *

Sarah was awake and crying softly before the morning sun broke the skyline, alerting her mother of her need to be fed. Kayla moaned as she pushed herself out of bed, James still snoring quietly beside her. She grabbed Sarah out of the crib and sat on the bed before being spoken to by the female AI FRIDAY.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Rogers. Mr. Stark believes you would like to see the news story this morning. Shall I turn it on for you?"

"Yes FRIDAY, thank you," Kayla answered absentmindedly as she situated Sarah against her chest, but she was broke out of her focus by her father's voice. Kayla's head shot up to the holographic screen showing Mathew Ellis holding a press conference, dressed in black with his wife weeping beside him. He looked solemn as he looked out into the crowd of reporters, the headline reading "MISSING BOY FOUND DEAD".

"It is with great sadness I must announce the death of my grandson, James. As many of you may know, we've been launching a state-wide manhunt for Natasha Romanoff. Unbeknownst to us, she was launching an investigation of her own. Unfortunately, due to our interference, she wasn't able to save our grandson in time. Miss Romanoff has been cleared of all charges of wrongdoing, as she was simply acting under the will of my late daughter, Kayla Ellis, to find her missing son. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time. No further questions at this time."

Mathew Ellis stepped down from the platform with his wife, surrounded by secret servicemen as the camera's flashed. Kayla bit the side of her index finger as Sarah nursed, watching intently as the news story continued on. To her surprise, Sam Wilson stepped up to the microphone and took the questions, dressed in his Captain America uniform with his shield latched to his back.

"Captain Wilson," A man said tentatively, making sure he called the man before him by the right name, "Do we know who caused the death of Miss Ellis's son?"

Sam nodded firmly, his demeanor cold, "A man by the name of Johann Schmidt is responsible. He's the killer from the gala. He killed James. And he's the reason Kayla Ellis was convicted. He's a Nazi dictator who survived death in 1945 by escaping to an alien planet. Sounds crazy, I know, but trust me, you haven't seen the crazy I've seen."

"Are we safe Captain? Should we be worried about this threat?" Another reporter asked, taking a step closer to the podium as he held his pad in his hand.

"To be honest, we should be very worried about the Red Skull." Loud gasps were heard around the audience as Sam continued, his eyes scanning the crowd. They could see the fire in him as he spoke, as he'd chosen not to wear the cowl. He was letting his identity out to the world. Sam was stepping up, and it made Kayla's breath catch in her throat.

_I sure as hell hope you know what you're doing Sam..._

"What are the Avengers planning on doing to thwart this threat? Now that Captain Rogers and Kayla Ellis are both dead, who will be his next target?"

Sam shrugged, "I can't answer that. All I know is he's out there, and we need to find him. The Avengers will do everything they can, but we need your help. Keep us posted if you see anything suspicious. We'll be on the hunt as well. Lucky for us, we have powerful friends. And we'll protect the Earth from this threat. I swear on my life."

Kayla hadn't realized she was holding her breath until the hologram disappeared. She felt herself relax and Sarah whack her hand against her chest expectantly, signifying she was done with breakfast.

"Momma?" James asked as he crawled across the bed to Kayla's side. She beamed down at her son and ruffled his hair, asking what he was wondering. His big green eyes stared up at her expectantly, "Dadda come home?"

"Yes sweetheart, Daddy will be home soon. He's going to come here and spend time with us." Kayla promised as she pulled him closer to her side, leaning against him a little until he giggled from the pressure. "How about we get some breakfast, then we'll get Uncle Happy to drive us to the train station to get Daddy?"

"Dadda Dadda Dadda!" James chanted as he shifted himself, sliding off the bed feet first before Kayla could stop him. He landed on his butt but didn't seem too fazed by the three-foot drop, he just pushed himself to his feet and started wandering toward the stairs.

"No, no James. We talked about the stairs. No stairs without Mommy or Daddy, remember?" She scolded before scooping up the boy and carrying a child in each arm, still wearing her short purple nightgown that barely reached her thighs, but Kayla wasn't too worried about Pepper and Tony.

"Auntie Kay, Auntie Kay!" Morgan yelped as she came running down the stairs after her, pulling on the hem of her nightgown. "Can James and I play?"

"Sure. But don't go too far, I'm making breakfast." Kayla called as she set James onto the floor and he went running after his friend, hands flailing forward as he tried to grab her. Kayla placed Sarah in her highchair and began raiding the fridge for fruit to give the kids for breakfast. She began chopping up small pieces of banana for James when a black car she didn't recognize pulled up into the driveway. She watched it for a minute, realizing the windows were tinted out black, "Tony!" She called nervously, knowing the billionaire was already awake.

He came tromping down the stairs slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he yawned, "You called?"

"Who's that?" Kayla stammered, never taking her eyes off of the car as she continued to slice the banana. Her grip on the knife tightened, knowing she could kill a man with the butter knife if it meant protecting her children.

After a moment of silence and impatience, the passenger door opened and Steve climbed out of the car, looking wistfully at the cabin as he stood. Kayla dropped the knife onto the counter and sprinted out the front door, leaping off all of the steps and flinging herself into her husband's arms. James caught his mother's quick movement and turned away from Morgan to see where she went. Once he saw his father he began to shriek, "Dadda Dadda!" The boy went toddling out the front door as Morgan followed, making sure he didn't trip as he sat on his butt and slid down the steps onto the ground.

Sarah clapped her hands happily, but Tony raised his brow, sure the infant didn't understand what was happening, but she seemed cheerful nonetheless.

Steve caught Kayla midair in his right arm and held her tight against his chest as she kissed him passionately. After a moment he put her down and she turned her attention to his injured shoulder, pulling aside the fabric of the black shirt he'd borrowed from Bucky to see the bullet hole beginning to heal. "I was so worried about you Steve." Kayla breathed as she placed both hands on his cheeks, "I'm so glad you're here."

"Dadda Dadda!" James continued to shriek as he toddled over to his father, reaching up to be held.

"Hey, little man!" Steve whooped happily as he hoisted the boy into his arms. "Have you been taking good care of Mommy?"

"Momma." He pointed to Kayla, then poked Steve on the cheek, "Dadda."

"I've missed you all so much." Steve murmured as Kayla leaned against his arm, smiling at her son.

Tony snorted as Pepper appeared behind him, watching Morgan approach slowly, "You've been gone two days Rogers. Calm down already."

Steve didn't put James down but shifted him to one arm to greet Tony Stark with a hug. "It's great to see you again Tony. Better circumstances this time." Steve said as Kayla sidled up next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Right. Now, your wife said something about breakfast, and I for one am starving, aren't you kids?" Tony asked Morgan, who jumped up and down exclaiming that she was hungry as her father gave Kayla a coy look. The woman rolled her eyes and playfully pushed Tony out of the way to make herself at home in the kitchen as Steve sat down to enjoy breakfast with his family and friends.

**_Author's Note: Well, here's the end of Part 2. Part 3 starts next chapter. Lots of drama, intrigue, and betrayal. GET EXCITED. As always thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and of course REVIEWED. I have twenty more chapters already written and I usually post after I get a few reviews so just know that by reviewing you are getting chapters faster because it reminds me to post!_**

**_Siobhan- _**_I love writing Tony Stark. As I've said, he's a pretty constant figure for the next two parts of the story. Red Skull is becoming more and more of a threat and Hyrda is getting more and more powerful. Obviously Natasha ended up safe, but the Ellis family is having a very hard time, especially knowing Steve and the kids are alive but not being able to see them grow up. _

**_Nikkita Starr-_**_ ALL THE TONY. Also, you've now seen what's happened to Nat, but that doesn't mean her adventures are done. I mean, she's Natasha Romanoff, and she'll do anything to keep her family safe._

**_amberhardy-_**_ I've missed you! Welcome back! I'm glad you like their friendship! Honestly, I shipped them pretty hard in the MCU, but if he can't be with Natasha, I'm glad he ended up with his Peggy. _


	31. Chapter 31

_**Author's Notes: Welcome to Part 3! Thanks for all the reviews, ya'll are the best! Enjoy!**_

_**amberhardy- **I'm glad you're happy with how it turned out! It's going to take a lot more than a bullet to take Steve Rogers down! Haha, but in all seriousness, their circle grows liiiiiitle by little as time goes on. Sometimes it works out... sometimes it doesn't..._

**_Nikkita Starr-_**_ I know you love some Tony Stark. I'm glad you think I did him justice!_

**_Jemfalls23-_**_ What happens to Sarah? You'll just have to wait and see! Lots of chaos with her brother of course... see if you can figure out which child takes after which parent haha!_

* * *

**Three Years Later...**

There was the wind up before the scream. The gasping for air that preceded the shrill wail warned James that he was in big trouble, so the four-year-old blonde scrambled to put as much distance as possible between himself and his little sister.

"DADDY!" Sarah screamed loudly before breaking into a coughing fit. She gasped for air, trying to get enough force in her lungs to let out another ear-piercing cry. "DADDY JAMES BROKE MY DOLL."

Kayla moved around the corner of the kitchen to see her little girl with tears streaming down her face. Steve came careening down the stairs to his daughter's aid, kneeling beside her as she held up both halves of her plastic doll. Steve looked toward Kayla, finding that James was huddled behind her legs, peeking around his mother's bare thigh.

"James..." Steve started, eyes narrowing at the boy from beneath his glasses, "Did you apologize to your sister?"

"I'm-I'm- so- sorry." James whimpered out, pressing his face to the skin of Kayla's leg just below the hem of her jean shorts. "I didn't mean to. We were playing, and, and I tried to make her sit, and the doll broke."

"We've talked about being careful. Toys are very breakable. We need to be very gentle with them, just like we need to be gentle with Sarah and our friends." Steve said evenly as James nodded, looking at the floor. "And you," Steve turned his attention to Sarah, who cowered in his sights, "You know we don't scream like that. It was an accident. James apologized. You cannot act like this, do you understand? We'll replace your doll, but if you act like a brat, we won't." Steve told her sternly, and little tears started escaping Sarah's big blue eyes as she nodded, hugging Steve's knee as he knelt beside her.

"Go to your father." Kayla prodded quietly, patting James in the back to nudge him toward Steve. Steve looked up and smiled at his son, opening his left arm to invite James in for a hug.

James approached slowly, his head hanging low but his eyes holding tight onto his father's. When he reached Steve, he grabbed onto Sarah's hand and held it, offering her an apologetic smile as Steve's large hand covered most of his son's back. The boy was still very round, he still held a lot of his baby fat, but Kayla suspected he'd grow up to look like his father- pre or post serum was TBD.

"Now that we've sorted through all of this, are you kids going to behave enough for pizza, or do you need to be fed Brussel sprouts for dinner?" Kayla teased as she waved the pizza cutter nonchalantly in the air. Her green eyes studied the moment in front of her, wanting to capture it forever. Her husband, her daughter, her son. Everything was perfect.

James and Sarah faced their mother dutifully and chimed in unison, "Yes ma'am." The two children ran to their seats on opposite sides of the table and waited as Steve rose to his feet, pressing a kiss to Kayla's lips as he followed them to dinner.

* * *

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away, Captain America and his partner- the Winter Soldier- crept through the back door of an infamous drug dealer just outside of Atlanta. Sam led the way, his shield held in front of him while Bucky kept his rifle raised, turning and watching their backs as they moved through the house, looking for evidence of occupants.

"Area is secure," Sam said into his comm before lowering his shield. He turned to Bucky, who didn't lower his rifle, "Dude, the area is secure, I was very clear about that."

"Can never be too careful," Bucky answered, his voice low as he continued to watch the world through the scope of his gun.

Sam shrugged, rolling his eyes as he walked toward the table, pushing aside a pile of unopened bills, "Suit yourself. Let me know if you see anything. Got a hit that this guy is supplying something pretty damn strong. Everybody who meets with him disappears soon after."

"I'm aware." Bucky's gruff voice answered. He turned quickly, aiming his gun toward the doorway of the basement, taking another step closer before he kicked the door with his boot, causing it to swing open with a loud creak.

Sam nodded, holding up his arm to type in the code for his Redwing, sending the little drone downstairs before he and Bucky followed. Sam kept his goggles on, watching the feed as Redwing descended down the stairs, looking around for any sign of life. After a moment, Sam paused, turning off his feed to look at Bucky, "There's someone down there. The audio feed is picking up some weird noise. The man seems to be singing and chanting to himself."

"You first Cap," Bucky smirked as he gestured with his metal arm toward the open door. Sam lifted the shield higher, slowly but surely making his way down the stairs into the darkness of the basement.

It was cold and wet, even though both men wore heavy boots they could still feel the broken tiles beneath them. There was a couch, and a chair, and a projector aimed at a white sheet hanging from the ceiling. On the left was a bathroom with the door wide open, and from inside came the muffled sounds of talking.

"Twenty-nine. Meatlocker. Starboard. Fourteen."

Sam watched as the dirty man sat on the floor, his wrists bound to the towel rack on the side of the clear shower. Sam's stomach twisted in knots as the man spoke, his voice low and determined as he muttered words without reason. He looked like he hadn't been fed in days, and his eyes glossed over as his head finally lulled to the two men who invaded his haven.

Bucky stared down at the man, seeing the resignation and complacency of someone who no longer had control of their mind. He knew it well, and it made him shake from head to toe as he tried to pull himself together. Decades in the control of someone else had broken the man's soul, and he was trying to repent for those sins, one day at a time.

The man smiled up at Bucky and Sam, and they got a better look at his dull orange eyes as his lips parted, "Hail Hydra."

Sam prepared to speak, but he didn't get the chance as Bucky fired a shot into the man's skull, putting him out of his misery. Sam's eyes stayed focused on the corpse as the orange light faded from its eyes. He understood why Barnes did what he did, but he still had to ask, "Why?"

"Trust me, it's what he would have wanted."

Barnes said nothing else about the matter, he just turned on his heavy heels and silently went back up the stairs to stand guard while Sam looked around the basement. He left the restroom and ran his hand over the couch, trying to see if there was anything suspicious. As he came around the front of the sofa, his calf bumped into something sharp, odd for couch cushions.

"What the hell?" Sam mumbled as he knelt down, running his gloved hand over the flat surface of the brown cushions. Sam grabbed the edge of the fabric and pulled, revealing a glass box with boxes of pills behind it. Sam slowly turned the plastic handle, opening it up to grab one of the pill bottles behind it.

"Sam. We've been compromised." Bucky's voice cut through Sam's earpiece, pulling the Captain's attention away from reading the label. He couldn't quite make out the scrawling handwriting on the tube, so Sam shoved it into his utility belt and sprinted up the stairs.

When he reached the doorway, he found Bucky to the left of the doorframe with his rifle by his boots and his hands in the air. Sam's gaze followed his friend's, finally seeing three police officers with their guns trained on himself and Barnes.

"Can we help you?" Sam asked, placing his shield onto his back as he raised his hands in surrender.

"You aren't authorized to be here." One of the officers explained as he lowered his gun.

Sam spared a quick glance at Bucky before shifting his weight and looking back toward the man, "We were asked to investigate the place by the owners family who suspects him of creating something dangerous. We got cleared by the Chief of Police to enter the premise for investigation. So I ask again: can we help you?"

The three men looked to each other as the first one held back a snort, "Sorry for the miscommunication. We were also sent here by dispatch. However, we're going to have to ask you to leave while we sort through your permit."

"No need. Our search has been completed anyway. Be advised though, there's a body downstairs in the restroom. Might want to contact the boss about that." Sam sneered, meeting the man's dark eyes as his two comrades shifted uneasily. Sam passed the three, nodding toward the broken door with his head for Barnes to follow. The soldier never took his eyes off the trio as they left the home, gripping his rifle tightly.

Once they were both outside, Sam turned to look at the men in the house, two of which were already heading down the stairs toward the basement, "They'll figure out it was a rifle that shot that man."

"Then it's a good thing I can disappear," Bucky mumbled, snapping his weapon in half and holding a piece in each hand as he led the way farther from the house.

Sam nodded, understanding that Barnes was going to go on the run for a while. "I'll take the pills I swiped back to base and get them tested. Have Banner take a look at them. Stay in contact alright?"

"I will," Bucky grunted, then tossed his rifle into the trashcan of a nearby home and turned down a side street, walking briskly away from his partner.

* * *

"Cyanide Sam. It's just cyanide." Bruce stated as he looked up from his high tech microscope as the mechanical hands poked and prodded the little white pills. Professor Hulk waved his large hands and brought up several screens in front of Sam, showing off the information he'd found. "It's kind of odd though, that there would be an underground cyanide factory, don't you think?" Bruce adjusted his glasses as he zoomed in on the chemical properties of the little pills, not seeing anything out of the ordinary.

"Odd is an understatement. This is bigger than a neighborhood drug ring Bruce. The man in the basement... his eyes were glowing. Like Kayla's had."

Sam looked up at Bruce, waiting for an answer from the doctor. Bruce raised his brow, but he didn't speak right away. After chewing on the inside of his cheek for a moment, Bruce finally shut down the screens, turning his back to Sam Wilson. "Where is the man now?"

"Barnes shot him. He was muttering unintelligible words and I think... I think it really struck Barnes." Sam explained, leaning against the lab table as the mechanical arms continued working on the cyanide pill. "I think Red Skull is behind this. And I don't know how to proceed."

"Don't. Don't fall into this trap. This isn't about cyanide- you know that. Let the cops know what you found, let them know what you know, then step away." Bruce warned as he started walking toward the door to his lab, looking through the glass panes at Natasha Romanoff working diligently on a case with Maria Hill. "Where did the tip come from Sam?"

"Chief of Police. Little town in Georgia. People have been disappearing Bruce... not coming back." Sam argued, but Bruce just scoffed, turning to gesture to his microscope.

"Guess we know why now. If you pursue Schmidt, he'll exploit you, and your friendship with Steve. I miss them too Sam, but... we can't risk another massacre. Schmidt's been hiding. Let the police flush him out. He hates them a lot less than the Avengers." Bruce took his glasses off and placed them into the chest pocket of his thin shirt under his massive white lab coat. "Think about it, Sam. Don't do anything you'll regret."

Bruce had nothing else to say, so he left the Captain alone in his lab to check on Nat and Maria in the next room. When he entered, Natasha looked up with a grin. When she saw Banner's solemn expression, Nat's own smile fell as she stood to greet him. "Bruce?"

"Schmidt's back." was all that Bruce said as he slumped into a chair beside Natasha, rubbing the bridge of his nose with thick fingers. "He's behind the kidnappings along the east coast. Sam and Bucky found a man with glowing orange eyes outside of Atlanta and a cyanide factory in the basement."

Natasha's green eyes narrowed as she sat down slowly, looking to Hill questioningly, "Call it in. See what we get back. We need to control this before it gets out of control."


	32. Chapter 32

Kayla finished loading the dishwasher on Friday evening, enjoying a little bit of peace and quiet as Steve worked on putting the kids to bed. Zawadi snoozed by her feet, occasionally opening his eyes to look up at Kayla when she dropped water on the dog's head. She hummed to herself as she moved about, cleaning up the kitchen until a loud knock came from the door.

Zawadi's head popped up, looking curiously at the doorway as Kayla raised her brow and leaned around the doorframe. "Stay." She told the Rhodesian, but the old dog didn't seem too interested in whoever was at the residence anyway. Kayla approached the door, her body stiff as she looked at her watch.

7:06

She opened the door and Tessa came barreling in, her long brunette hair curled into loose ringlets that bopped around her shoulders as she bounced up and down on her heels. She held a dress in each hand, and her brows were drawn anxiously, "Katie. Katie, I need your help. It's an emergency."

"Something about the dresses makes me think it's not really an emergency." Katie deadpanned in returned, gesturing toward the couch as Tessa laid each dress over the back.

The shorter woman scowled as she turned back to her best friend, then placed her hands on her hips and sighed, "I think this might be the night Kay. I think... I think Ryan could-"

"Propose? You think he's finally going to propose? It's been like- four years." Kayla's demeanor lifted and she darted to Tessa's side, eyeing the dresses hung over the couch, "Well obviously you have to go with the green."

"Why the green?" Tessa asked quickly, picking it up and holding it to herself.

Kayla snorted, pulling the fabric against Tessa's sides, "It shows off your ass, and your boobs, and your legs. It's sexy. This isn't the wedding, its the proposal, no need to be modest." Kayla giggled as she took the tea-length light pink second option off the couch and held it away from Tessa. "What time is Ryan picking you up?"

"Seven-thirty."

"Tessa, go, go now, use my bathroom upstairs. Be quiet though. Do NOT wake up James. He'll never go back to sleep." Kayla hissed as she ushered her friend toward the stairs, where she passed Steve as he pushed himself against the wall to let her pass.

"Hey, Tess!" Steve whispered loudly, greeting the woman as he slowly made his way to his wife, "Sarah fell asleep right away. James wanted more stories. I read him four."

"What stories did you read tonight darling?" Kayla cooed as she reached up and pressed a kiss against Steve's jaw. "Who did he want to hear about this evening?"

"Spiderman. He loves that Spiderman." Steve grunted and Kayla let out a slight laugh, shaking her head as Steve rolled his eyes. "What a punk."

"He's not a punk, he's a good kid. Young man. Adult. He's an adult now. We're getting old."

"I was already old when you met me." Steve pressed a kiss against Kayla's temple and made his way to the kitchen to grab himself a beer. "So what's with Tess?"

"She thinks Ryan is going to propose tonight," Kayla answered quietly, looking over her shoulder toward the stairs before turning back to her husband, "We'll see."

"About damn time." Steve chuckled as he tossed his beer back, swallowing its contents quickly as Zawadi looked up at him expectantly. Steve opened the cabinet next to the fridge and pulled a dog treat out of the box, tossing it to Zaddi who caught it quickly, munching loudly.

Tessa came trotting down the stairs in her tight green dress and Kayla let out a low whistle as Steve blushed, looking down at the dog to keep from staring. Tessa turned around quickly with her arms outstretched, "Well, how do I look?"

"You'll knock him dead," Kayla answered without missing a beat. Kayla looked her up and down, then scrunched her face at her feet, "You gonna wear those flip flops though?"

"Uhhh..." Tessa trailed off, looking down and clicking her heels together.

Kayla scoffed and addressed Steve without looking back over her shoulder, "Honey, go grab my stilettos. The black ones. It's a special occasion."

Tessa wrapped her arms around Kayla in thanks as Steve lumbered up the stairs for the heels. As Kayla pulled away, she looked at her watch, "He'll be home soon. Where's he taking you?"

"I don't know. Somewhere nice. He said to dress up. I'm so nervous."

"Don't be nervous," Kayla replied as Steve returned with the shoes, "Here, put these on. Hike up the dress, go meet Ryan. Everything is going to be fine."

Tessa took a deep breath, shifting her halter top emerald dress around her chest as she slipped her feet into the high heels, "Thanks, Katie. I'll call you after okay?"

"I mean, you could just come over in the morning before you head to the shop?" Kayla yawned and Steve smirked at her as she tried to force the yawn back down. "The kids will be awake at dawn, and so will we."

Tessa laughed, "Fine, first thing in the morning. I'm getting married!" Tessa squealed before grabbing her black clutch and clicking her way out the door.

Steve turned to Kayla, who crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. The soldier watched his wife expectantly, his brow raised as he placed his hands on his hips. "What?" Kayla asked with a shrug, but Steve just put both hands up defensively before walking back to the kitchen. "What is it?" Kayla called quietly, trying not to wake their kids.

"Those are your favorite shoes. You don't let anyone touch them."

Kayla's mouth twitched into a small smile as her head dropped, her hair falling around her face. "Tessa's not just anyone. You know that."

"I know she's not. But you still don't let anyone touch those shoes." Steve opened the fridge and dug around, looking for more food. "I'm still hungry."

"Aren't you always?" Kayla answered, locking the front door as Steve's cell began to ring. Steve removed himself from the cover of the fridge to stare at the cell... realizing it wasn't his work phone, but his burner phone. Kayla approached slowly, allowing Steve to look down at the name before asking, "Who is it?"

"Sam." Steve answered shortly, running his hand through his hair before looking back up at Kayla, "It's just a text."

"You gonna tell me what it says?" Kayla prodded as Steve clenched the cell tightly, staring at the carpet ahead, but avoiding Kayla's eyes.

"No, I don't think I will." He answered coldly, but his eyes darted up for just a second, just long enough to show Kayla how scared he was.

She gulped, looking from her husband to the stairs, "I'm- I'm going to go check on the kids. You deal with... whatever it is." Kayla started up the stairs, and Zawadi got to his feet and followed his owner to Sarah's nursery. She checked on her daughter first, finding the little blonde fast asleep, clutching her red baby blanket as she wheezed softly. Kayla spread out the small blanket to cover the little girl. Sarah shifted slightly from the contact but didn't wake up, only let out a little cough before tightening her fist around the blanket.

Kayla moved from Sarah's bedroom into the joint bathroom between the two kids, emerging into James's room to find the toddler sitting on the floor with a comic book sprawled out in front of him. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be in bed." Kayla hissed as she knelt down beside the boy, and he scrambled to close his comic book and hide it behind his back. Kayla stared at him though, easily reaching around to snatch the issue out of his hand. "The Hulk, huh?"

"Dad read me the Spiderman one before bed. And the Iron Man one." James admitted quietly as Kayla plopped onto her butt and leaned against his toddler bed, flipping through the pages.

"You can't read this," Kayla informed the child, and he shied away from her.

"I like the pictures." He admitted, and Kayla passed the booklet back to her son, patting her thigh for him to sit on her lap. "I'm sorry."

"How about I'll read you part of this one, then you go to sleep for real okay? And in return, I won't tell your father that you were sneaking out of bed." Kayla bargained as James snuggled against her chest, turning his chubby face to see the book as Kayla turned to the beginning, reading quietly in the darkness as neither of them strained to see the pictures.

Once Steve was sure Kayla wasn't listening, he dialed Sam's phone and waited for his former teammate to answer. Once the line came alive, Steve greeted Sam with a simple question, "You're sure it's him?"

"We found a man. Brainwashed, emaciated, spouting gibberish with glowing orange eyes. Told us Hail Hydra before Barnes executed him. There's nobody else who could do this, Steve."

"I don't want anything to do with it, Sam. I can't- I can't do that to Kay and the kids. Where is he? Do we need to run?" Steve asked, looking up the stairs as he held his hand over the receiver, trying to shield his voice from his wife's prying ears.

Sam didn't answer for a moment, but when he did, he sounded anxious, "East Coast. We've had reports of disappearances everywhere from Tampa to Annapolis. But he doesn't seem to be in New York. Yet."

"What's he want?"

"Who knows?" Sam answered, "World domination? It's been years, he's not looking for you."

"We better hope not. I gotta lay low, Sam. Keep me posted if you think he might be working his way up to New York. I gotta go." Steve told Sam quickly as he heard Kayla closing the door to James's room and began walking down the stairs.

"Good luck, Steve," Sam replied before hanging up the phone, and Steve sighed as he shoved the cell into his pocket. Kayla sidled up next to him, wrapping her arms around her husband as she rested her cheek against his forearm.

"Please tell me what's happening, Steve." She murmured, her voice muffled as she pressed a gentle kiss to his arm. "I hate being in the dark."

Steve shook his head, letting his face fall into his hand as his whole body shuddered. Kayla felt her chest fall into her stomach, her own knees shaking at Steve's reaction. The former Captain sighed and turned his head just a little so his words would reach his wife's ears, "I can't Kayla. Please. Just trust me okay? I'll tell you when I know more. I don't want to worry you now."

"I'm more worried by what you're not telling me, Steve. We don't keep secrets from each other, you know that." Kayla tried, shifting to stand in front of Steve with each hand on his strong arms, "Is it Schmidt?" Kayla guessed, knowing her husband well enough to read him like an open book. Nothing scared him more than the man he couldn't defeat.

Steve didn't answer, but his blue eyes darted to Kayla before allowing himself a slight nod. Kayla's breath caught in her throat, but she swallowed it down before giving Steve's arms a comforting squeeze, "Do we need to go?"

"No. Not yet. Sam says he isn't looking for me."

"Then it doesn't matter. We know he's out there, but as long as he's not after you, there's no reason to worry. And he thinks I'm dead. And my parents told everyone James is dead. There's nothing for him here. Come to bed." Kayla ordered, trying to ease Steve's dread as her own began to grow. She lowered her hands until they reached his, grabbing him tightly and looking up to meet his blue eyes, "Let's go to bed."

Steve reached down and pressed his lips against Kayla's. He never let go of her hands as he pushed against her mouth, trying to let go of his nerves. But he just couldn't shake the feeling that Schmidt was getting closer and closer to him and his family. After a moment, Kayla pulled away and began to lead him out of the kitchen toward the stairs to head to their bedroom.

Zawadi was already resting on their king-sized bed, and he didn't even lift his head as his eyes opened to look at the pair when they entered. Kayla easily pulled off her blouse and discarded it before pressing her chest against Steve. He looked over her shoulder and chuckled, "It's barely eight o'clock."

"I said come to bed. I never said we'd go to sleep." Kayla growled lowly into Steve's ear as she stood on her tip toes to get closer to him. She playfully yanked at the hem of his t-shirt, silently begging him to take it off. He shook his head at her, but obliged, pulling off his shirt before lifting her up and depositing her into their bed.


	33. Chapter 33

Kayla waited expectantly as seven turned to eight and eight began approaching nine. She woke up, stretched, then made breakfast for James and Sarah. Kayla expected Tessa would come over before heading over to the Brewhouse to open it at nine, but as nine o'clock came and went, Tessa was nowhere to be seen.

"Mom, I'm hungry!" James yelped from his chair at the table. Sarah stood expectantly at the base of her highchair- still too small to sit in a regular chair and reach the table at three years old. James smashed his hand on the table and caused it to shake as he groaned again, "Breakfast!"

"You aren't getting anything if you're going to act like that. Sit up, stop banging the table." Kayla chastised as she brought over the plate of pancakes to serve to her kids. "You want sausage or bacon?"

"Both!" James responded happily, his tongue hanging out of his mouth like a dog as he bopped up and down impatiently, ready to eat. He ate like his father, four times more than the average four-year-old. Between the three of them, they'd eat the family out of house and home. Luckily, Sarah didn't eat much at all, even if Kayla and Steve tried to bulk her tiny frame up a bit.

Kayla served James a small pile of pancakes before setting down the plate and lifting Sarah into her chair. "What would you like, darling?" Kayla asked gently, running her hand through Sarah's thin white hair.

"Half a pancake please." Sarah recited with a small smile. "And a piece of bacon."

"Just one?"

"It'll leave more for James," Sarah responded, looking over to her older brother who scarfed the food into his mouth like he'd never eat again. His chubby cheeks were filled with pancakes and sausage as Kayla sighed, looking back at her daughter.

"One whole pancake and a piece of bacon. You have to eat." Kayla dished up the food onto Sarah's plate and she looked at it like it would make her sick, which wasn't out of the realm of possibility, but Sarah's doctors were very adamant that the girl eats to keep up her strength and help with the medications she took.

James looked up at Kayla through a mouthful of food, having devoured the four pancakes in a matter of moments, "Where's Dad?"

"Sleeping in. It's his weekend. And he didn't sleep well last night." Kayla answered softly. She knew Steve had laid awake in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling and wringing his hands together. Kayla knew this because she too laid awake for hours, occasionally turning her head to see her husband's tight scowl as his eyes drew circles on the ceiling in the darkness.

"I miss Daddy." Sarah whined, sticking out her rosy pink lip to pout. James just shrugged and reached across the table as far as his chubby little arm could stretch to grab another piece of sausage and shove it into his mouth while his mom wasn't looking. Sarah noticed but didn't say anything, knowing the ramifications of her betrayal would come back to haunt her if she tattled on her older brother. It was something she learned young and would keep in mind the rest of her life.

Kayla looked over her shoulder at her son, seeing him chewing furiously to hide the evidence. "You took another one, didn't you? No more. You're done. Sarah, eat your pancake." Kayla wiped her batter covered hands on her black apron that hid the sky blue button up dress she wore underneath. Her long auburn hair was pulled up into a bun on top of her head, but a stray strand fell by her cheek, making her look more disheveled than she would have liked.

"Good morning, good morning, good morning!" Steve greeted his family as he bounded down the stairs, already dressed and ready for the day. Kayla leaned into the kiss he placed on her cheek without looking as she grabbed an empty plate for Steve, handing it off effortlessly as he pulled out the chair between James and Sarah.

"You slept so long." James teased, poking his chunky finger against his father's ribs with a laugh. Steve turned to his son and began to tickle the boy, causing him to laugh louder.

"And you didn't sleep long enough," Steve replied as Kayla plopped a stack of seven pancakes onto her husband's plate. She smirked and tried shoving the stray hair behind her ear, trying to push back the feeling of dread that hung in her chest. Schmidt was emerging from the hole he'd been hiding in. She didn't want to worry about it, but she did. Kayla had too much to lose.

Steve stabbed his fork into the stack of pancakes and shoveled them into his mouth, chewing loudly as James laughed, grabbing toward the bacon and sausage again. Steve grabbed a piece of bacon and handed it to James. Kayla side-eyed her husband, but he just smirked back at her as he swallowed the food. Kayla finally pulled out her own chair to the left of Sarah's high chair and took a seat, serving herself the last three pancakes and a piece of bacon before her husband and son could steal it. "Tessa never came over."

"No? Maybe she had a late night and slept in. We can head to the Brewhouse after breakfast." Steve suggested as he swallowed another heap of pancakes. "Did you make coffee?"

"Yes. But it's already gone, sleepyhead." Kayla teased, crossing her leg over her knee as her dress fell to the side. "You finished? You're being a bad example for your son." Kayla sneered, gesturing to the smiling toddler who had syrup smeared across his face.

"I'll get him cleaned up," Steve grumbled and stood, offering James his hand to lead him upstairs to get ready. Once Steve and James were gone, Kayla cut through the pancakes and took a bite for herself, her green eyes watching Sarah intently.

"You only took a few bites," Kayla observed, poking at Sarah's barely eaten breakfast with her own fork. "Please eat a little more."

"I'm not hungry," Sarah admitted sadly, and Kayla's chest deflated at the defeated look on her daughter's face. Sarah was very aware that she wasn't like her brother or her parents. She was small, she was weak. She was sick. Her parents and brother were none of those things. What was wrong with her? Sarah looked down at her plate, then up to her mom, "Want it?"

"I want you to eat it. Please. Two more bites, then I'll eat the rest. Deal?" Kayla offered with a sad, knowing smile. Sarah nodded and grabbed another pre-cut bite of pancake, shoving it into her mouth slowly before chewing it meticulously. After swallowing, she grabbed the smallest bite left and added that into her mouth, eating it as painstakingly slowly as the first bite. Kayla sighed and stabbed the remaining pieces with her fork and crammed them into her mouth before Sarah spit out the last bite of pancake onto her tray. Kayla stared at her in disbelief, "You kidding me, child? You tricked me."

"I'm not hungry." Sarah shrugged, a coy smile slowly appearing on her gaunt face. Her blue eyes sparkled mischievously, and Kayla narrowed her eyes at the little girl because that was _her father's _smug face.

Kayla stood up as James slid his way down the stairs on his butt with Steve walking slowly behind him. "You ready to go?" Steve called, waking Zawadi from his slumber near the table. The large dog got up and lumbered over to Steve, licking the soldier's hand affectionately as Steve placed his free hand on his hip, waiting for his wife.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready," Kayla grumbled as she lifted Sarah out of the seat and deposited her easily onto the ground where Zawadi turned and went to work licking her gently, getting off all of the pancake crumbs. James leaned himself against the dog, but Zawadi didn't seem to mind, too preoccupied with his littlest master to worry about the chunky child using him as a crutch.

Steve scooped up James in his right arm and Sarah in his left, carrying his two children out to his pickup with ease as Kayla pulled off her apron and hung it next to the stove. She pushed the strand of hair behind her ear again, groaning as she grabbed Steve's glasses from the table and carried them out the door.

* * *

"Can I get a coffee. Black. A... what do you call it? A... vent-ee?"

"This isn't Starbucks. A large. You want a large?" Tessa growled back at the customer, unusually grouchy for being at work. The man looked up at the board, then down at the shorter woman before him, seeming to consider his options. He ran his hand through his short dark hair and shifted uncomfortably as the owner of the coffee shop stared at him impatiently.

"Yeah, a large please." He settled, and Tessa rung it up in the register before he handed her the cash. "Do you have a restroom?"

"Second green door on the left. I'll have your drink ready for you when you get out. Want your receipt?" Tessa asked sharply, and the man just shook his head and gave her a tense smile before following the directions away.

Once he was gone, Tessa inflated her cheeks and blew the air out through pursed, dark painted lips. Tessa placed both hands firmly on the counter and stared into the glass display, looking at every scone and muffin she had for sale. She knew she shouldn't be so rude to the customers, but it just wasn't her day.

And it was about to get worse.

Kayla shoved open the revolving door of the remodeled Brewhouse, swinging it around with terrifying ease. Once she saw Tessa at the counter, she squealed and practically leaped out of her skin, darting past all the little tables to reach her friend. "How did it go last night? Where's the ring?" Kayla's eyes fell to Tessa's bare hand, and her smile dropped before looking back up to meet Tessa's dark eyes, "Tess?"

Tessa sighed, knowing it was only a matter of time before she had to admit to her best friend what had happened the night prior, "He didn't propose, Kate. He took me out to a fancy dinner to let me know he'd gotten a big promotion. Chief of Police. Woopie."

"That's... great... for him." Kayla trailed off, trying to recover from her excitement and salvage something good from the misread situation. "Maybe he wanted to get this promotion first. Now he can focus on getting you a ring?"

Steve came up behind Kayla, a child holding each hand and a brilliant grin on his face, "I hear congratulations are in-"

"Mmm, nope, no." Kayla cut him off as subtly as she could, and Steve quickly realized what had happened. "Ryan got a promotion. He's the Chief of Police now."

"No kidding. I mean, that's great, right? Not as great as a proposal, but still good. I'm sorry Tess, I know how long you've been waiting for this." Steve tried to make his wife's friend feel better, but it didn't really help. Tessa knew they'd be excited for her, which made her presumptions feel even worse.

Tessa sat the black coffee on the glass counter and looked from Kayla to Steve, then down at the kids. "What, no hugs for your Auntie Tessa?" She moved to the edge of the counter and the kids followed her, running into her arms as she knelt down to embrace them.

"Auntie Tess, are you gonna marry Uncle Ryan?" Sarah asked innocently, and Tess forced a smile for the little girl.

"Not yet. But someday. Maybe." Tessa admitted, pressing a gentle kiss to the girl's head before planting one on James's cheek, leaving a dark lipstick stain in the shape of her mouth.

"Uck." He groaned, running back to his mom to get cleaned up as Tessa scooped up Sarah and walked around to the front of the counter.

Steve smiled down at his little family and Tessa, casually gazing up to look around the cafe until something caused him to do a double take near the restrooms. Steve squealed like a child and pounced onto the stranger, wrapping his legs around the man's waist for a second as he struggled to stand under the blonde's weight.

"What are you doing here?" Steve asked happily as Bucky dropped him back onto his feet, arching his back to stretch it after holding Steve Rogers off the ground for a moment.

Kayla's attention quickly snapped toward her husband as she squinted her eyes, not recognizing the Winter Soldier at first glance. He'd cut his hair, and shaved off his scruff, becoming unrecognizable to the untrained eye. But the old photo Steve kept on his dresser was reincarnated before her- two soldiers laughing and joking without a care in the world.

Sarah held onto Tessa as James cowered behind Kayla's legs, grabbing her tightly as he hid from the large stranger. "Who's that?" James whispered loudly to his mother from behind, and she smiled and looked down at her son.

"That's your Uncle Bucky. He's your godfather. Go say hello." Kayla moved her leg and exposed the little boy to the two grown men. Bucky gasped when he saw the child, his beaming smile infectious as he knelt down.

"Little Bucky!" He exclaimed, watching the child carefully as he approached. His smile softened and he held out his right hand to James, offering the boy a high five. "I'm James too. It's nice to meet you kid."

Steve beamed at his best friend and son before smiling up at Kayla. Tessa put Sarah down and the little girl pattered over to her father, trusting him more than anyone in the world. If her dad knew this man, then this man was okay in her book. "I'm Sarah." She held out her hand to shake Bucky's, and Steve grinned proudly at his polite little girl. Bucky looked up at Steve, then back to the girl, offering his massive hand to shake hers.

"James. It's nice to meet you, Sarah."

"Mom said your name is Uncle Bucky." Sarah tattled, and Bucky smiled up at Kayla, who stood leaning against the glass case next to Tessa. Sarah continued rattling on, despite getting no response from Bucky, "I know Auntie Tessa and Uncle Ryan, but I've never met you. Are you Daddy's brother?"

"Something like that. I've known your dad for a really long time." Bucky explained softly and stood to his full height, which seemed to intimidate James more than Sarah. She was used to feeling small.

As Steve continued the small talk with Bucky and his children, Tessa moved around the counter to help a customer who had arrived behind Kayla. As she took the order, Kayla moved to the side to get out of the way, still leaning against the case as she watched how happy her husband was. His smile reached all the way to his eyes as he sat down at the edge of a booth, pulling Sarah up into his lap as James climbed in next to Bucky.

"Here's his coffee. Might want to pass it off before it gets cold." Tessa told Kayla cooly, sliding the large to-go cup over to the redhead before turning her attention back to making the latte her customer had ordered.

Kayla looked from the coffee to Tessa, seeing the girl's back was tense and her face was sullen as she worked on the drink. "I'm sorry, Tess. I know it's a hard day."

"It's fine. It'll be okay. Can I come over for wine? Please? I could really use it." Tessa begged sweetly, folding her hands together and pouting her lip after passing the latte off to the customer. Suddenly, her eyes flickered up to the revolving door and her jaw stiffened. "It's Phillip. Ryan's brother."

"So? I'm sure they don't know you were expecting a proposal." Kayla hissed in return as the tall, portly man approached the counter.

"It's not that." Tessa breathed as she forced a smile, "Every time his brothers come into town he disappears for a few days."

"We'll talk about this later." Kayla finished, giving Phillip an amicable smile before taking Bucky's coffee over to the booth. She slid in with her husband and passed over the cup, Bucky taking a sip and realizing it was already cold. Kayla chuckled, "You were too preoccupied with your boyfriend to realize you'd ordered coffee?"

"Rude, he's my husband." Bucky winked at Kayla, grabbing onto Steve's hand with his as the woman gawked at the man, causing Steve to laugh boisterously. As Steve and Bucky joked with each other, Kayla looked to the left, seeing Tessa talking to Phillip with an anxious expression.

**_Author's Note:_**

**_Soibhan- _**_Awww, I'm glad you love the kids. I love them too! Poor Tessa. _

**_amberhardy-_**_ Oh Red Skull has some terrible terrible plans up his sleeve. His reach is growing, but luckily the Avengers are around to stop him and help those he has under his influence..._

_**Nikkita Starr- **__I'm sorry your bad feeling happened :( Don't give up on Ryan quite yet! _


	34. Chapter 34

Steve drove his family and Bucky back to the house in his big pickup truck, Kayla sitting in the middle of the backseat with the toddlers on either side of her. Bucky's content smile was contagious as he leaned back against the passenger seat, watching the trees as they flew by.

"So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Kayla asked slowly, taking note of how interested her children seemed in every word that came out of the Winter Soldier's mouth.

"Work. I took some time off, figured I'd visit this punk for a few weeks. I'm getting a hotel downtown, so you don't have to worry about me-"

"No, you can stay with us. Right, Kay?" Steve asked over his shoulder, but Kayla knew he was informing her, not asking her.

Kayla chuckled as she smoothed back her hair, "Of course you can stay. You're family... So, vacation huh? Any reason why?"

"Long story. Adult stuff, if you know what I mean." Bucky turned and met Kayla's green eyes with his own hazy blue ones, telling the woman that it wasn't something to talk about in front of the children.

"He can't tell you until you're older, Mom," James explained, reaching over and patting Kayla's thigh through her dress.

Bucky burst out laughing at the child, covering his mouth to hold back the noise as Steve tried hard not to join in, knowing he'd never hear the end of it from his wife. "Yeah, I'll explain when you're an adult, Kay."

Steve pulled into the driveway and parked the truck, noticing the large brown van in front of Ryan and Tessa's house. Ryan's younger brother Jack was standing against the driver's door, clearly waiting for somebody to come home. When Steve met his gaze, he tossed his head up in greeting but didn't smile back. Steve helped Kayla unbuckle James and carried his boy into the house with Bucky right on his heels.

Once inside, Steve put down his son and the boy ran toward his action figures, grabbing onto Iron Man and Hulk and bringing them back to show Bucky. "Uncle Bucky, Uncle Bucky, do you want to play with me?"

"Oh, he, he probably wants to rest," Steve warned the boy as he held up the Iron Man figure to Barnes, waiting for the man to take it.

"It's no problem. I'll play with you kid." Bucky answered with a soft smile, sitting cross-legged on the floor as James brought over more toys. Sarah sat down on Bucky's thigh and leaned back against his thick brown jacket, watching her brother with patient eyes.

"This is Iron Man. He's the leader of the Avengers. This is his best friend Hulk. Hulk is in love with the Black Widow and this is Hawkeye, her best friend. And this, this is Thor, he's the God of Thunder. I think they were real once, but I don't really know. I see things on the tv about them sometimes." James rattled off, piling superhero after superhero into Bucky's lap. Bucky carefully picked up each of the heroes with his left hand, still wearing his black glove over the vibranium. The little boy came back with another heap of toys, dropping them on top of Bucky's legs expectantly before sitting down and continuing his introductions. "This is Spiderman. He's the coolest Avenger. And this is Captain Marvel, she can fly! Like on her own! And this is Ant Man, but he can get really big and really small, you never know what he's gonna do. And finally, this is Captain America. He used to be the Falcon, but now he's Captain America."

Bucky looked up to meet Steve's blue eyes, seeing his expression drop at his son's words. Bucky nodded a little, smiling down at the boy, "They are really cool. You have quite the collection."

"Yeah, when I'm good Mommy buys me toys. Dad doesn't like them though. He doesn't like the Avengers." James added, picking up Captain America and Black Widow and positioning them across from each other. "Who do you want to play as?"

"I want to be Captain America," Sarah interjected, leaning forward and grabbing the figure that her brother stood closest to her. "And Captain Marvel."

"I didn't ask you. I asked Uncle Bucky," James barked at his sister, and she leaned back against Bucky's chest, her lower lip quivering as her brother snapped at her.

Bucky placed his right hand protectively around the girl and lifted up the Hulk, gesturing the toy towards James, "Be nice. We're all playing together. Let her pick her's first because she's the youngest. You're second youngest, you pick next."

"I want to be Thor, Iron Man, and Black Widow," James exclaimed loudly, grabbing onto the toys he'd chosen and sitting across from Bucky, situating them in a line. "You can have Hulk, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man."

"Who's gonna be Spiderman?" Kayla called as she leaned against the back of the couch, watching how excited her son was to have someone new to play with.

"Me. I'm gonna be Spiderman. I almost forgot him." James yelled, thrusting the red-clad hero into the air. "Mom, mom you want to play? Mom!"

"I'm fine, I'm going to watch you guys play. Your father might play though." Kayla gestured toward Steve, who still stood just inside the front door, watching his best friend sitting on the floor with his children. Something gave him pause about playing with his son's Avengers toys. It felt too real with Bucky sitting in his house with his family, playing with action figures of all of their friends.

"I... I'll be back." Steve darted away to the kitchen, and Bucky looked hurt at his best friend's departure. Kayla pushed herself away from the couch to follow her husband as James poked indecently at Bucky's metal arm, not realizing that it was harder than it should have been.

"Uncle Bucky! Uncle Bucky play with us!" James insisted loudly as Kayla rounded the corner into the kitchen, meeting her husband's eyes. Steve grabbed an apple from the fridge and took a huge bite out of it. Kayla saw right through his distraction though.

"Come play with your children. Bucky's being a good sport, you should be too." Kayla ordered, and Steve chewed through his feelings until he was ready to face his wife.

He looked at her with helpless blue eyes, and Kayla could see how conflicted he was about Bucky. She piqued her brow, waiting for an explanation from the usually well-spoken soldier. "I want him here. But he's here because of Schmidt. It makes me nervous. Buck can be dangerous. With the kids, I just don't know..." Steve trailed off under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as his eyes shifted to the family room where Bucky was playing with James and Sarah, the latter laughing as she made Captain Marvel fly through the sky. "He killed somebody, Kay."

"He's killed a lot of people, but so have you. None of our hands are clean. I for one feel safer knowing he's here with Schmidt out there. Between you and Bucky, I know our family will be safe." Kayla replied softly, the corners of her mouth raising into a grin, "He's so good with the kids. James loves him. He's his godfather. He should know them."

Steve shook his head, planting one hand firmly on the counter by his red apple and the other on his hip, "Every person from our past who knows the kids increases the chances of them being put in danger, Kay. I want them in our lives as much as you do, you know I do. But it's not that easy. Soon I don't even think we'll be able to go see Tony, they'll realize who he is. Morgan knows who her father is. They can't know theirs."

"See, that's the real problem here. It's not about Bucky or Tony, it's about your children not knowing who you are." Kayla bantered, tilting her head and gesturing toward the family room as she lowered her voice again, "Your son thinks Sam is Captain America. _That _is hard for you. But it's okay. It's okay Steve- because someday they'll understand. Someday just isn't today." Kayla pressed her palm against Steve's jaw, and he lowered his head shamefully into her hand but didn't respond, so she continued, "Go be with Bucky and the kids. These moments don't come along very often. You don't see him nearly enough and he's here now. No mission. No fight. Your best friend is here to spend time with you, so get your ass out there and play Avengers with your kids."

Steve nodded, planting a kiss on Kayla's lips before heading back into the family room to sit across from Bucky, grabbing onto Hawkeye and Ant-Man to play with his family.

Kayla watched them for a moment before feeling a vibrating coming from the pocket of her blue dress. She pulled out her cell and opened up a message from Tessa.

_Ryan's going away till Monday with Jack and Philip. Because of course he is._

Kayla blew air out through her mouth, looking up to see if anyone was paying attention to her. Once she saw the men were fully engaged in playing with the kids, she typed back.

_They do boy's trips a lot. I wouldn't be too worried about it._

The little dots that immediately appeared showed Kayla Tessa was wasting no time in responding. Tessa didn't make a habit of texting while she ran the shop, so she was clearly frustrated with this development.

_I know. They are going camping out by the lakes. I'm just bummed._

_It'll happen, Tess. Be patient. Ryan is clearly infatuated with you._

Kayla looked up as Sarah shrieked loudly, seeing James quickly stealing Captain America from her hand and Steve plucking it out of his to give it back, causing James to yell back defensively.

"You boys got this under control?" Kayla called serenely from the kitchen, not too worried about the squabbles of her small children.

"He took my toy!"

"She wasn't using it right!"

"You still- still can't- can't take- it." She stammered in response, beginning to turn red from the outburst. She wheezed loudly and slumped against Bucky, dropping the Captain Marvel and America toys to the ground as she tried to catch her breath. "You can't take it."

"No more fighting," Steve said evenly, pointing at Sarah and then James. "Enough. You need to be nice to your little sister. She's younger than you, she doesn't always understand the things you do."

"So she doesn't know when to turn away from a fight?" Bucky mumbled under his breath, trying to hide the smirk that threatened to emerge. Sarah didn't just look like Steve, she had his spirit. Not the government made super soldier, but the little guy from Brooklyn who wanted to do what was right.

Steve shot Bucky a knowing look, narrowing his eyes at his best friend as Bucky chuckled from his belly, causing the little girl to rumble with him as she breathed heavily. Suddenly, there was a knock on the front door, and Kayla looked from her family to the door, moving past the couch quickly to see who was there. Tess was still at work. Nobody else really visited.

She opened the door and saw Ryan on the other side, a hiking backpack strapped onto his back as he beamed at her. "Katie! How are you? Is Steve home?"

"I am." Steve grunted as he pushed himself from his hands to his knees, taking care to not get up too easily. "What's up, Ryan?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to join my brothers and me on a camping trip? Last minute, but I think it'll be fun. Could use a nice, stocky guy like you." Ryan gestured at Steve in a way that would have insulted him if he hadn't known the man in front of him for the past three years. Steve was used to being treated like a piece of meat, but that didn't' mean he liked it.

Steve cleared his throat and moved to the side a little, allowing Ryan a view of Bucky on the floor with the kids, "I'm sorry, I can't this weekend. One of my old war buddies is visiting for the week. He surprised me this morning at the Brewhouse! I'm surprised you didn't hear about it." Steve poked at Ryan, trying to read how he took the jest. Kayla's eyes narrowed at Ryan, feeling protective of her best friend and her feelings.

Ryan's expression fell at the sight of Bucky, disappointment written across his slim, dark face. "Bummer." He stared at Bucky for a moment, then added, "He could always come along? The more the merrier."

"I really appreciate the offer Ryan, but Buck came to see us and the kids. I'd feel bad stealing him away. James is his godson, and they barely know each other. Maybe next time?" Steve rubbed his foot behind his opposite ankle, trying to gently let his friend down.

Ryan shrugged, looking defeated, "We'll probably head to the lake next weekend again. Think about it." Ryan bowed his head a little, his eyes darting from Steve to Kayla to Bucky, who stared up at him with steely blue eyes. Almost menacing eyes. There was a night and day difference between his piercing stare and the soft, cool blue eyes that belonged to Steve Carter.

Once Steve closed the door, Bucky turned his attention to his friend, "Who's that?"

"Neighbor. He's dating Tessa, Kayla's friend from the coffee shop this morning." Steve answered easily, taking back his spot on the floor as Kayla hunkered down on the couch, lying across its length on her side so she could lean over and watch the kids play.

Bucky nodded, taking in the information quietly before speaking again, "What's her story? He seems so nice, and she seems so... angry..."

"Last night Ryan took her out for this nice dinner. She got all dressed up, and was sure he was going to propose." Kayla explained as she grabbed onto the Black Widow figure and stared at it for a moment. "He didn't. Got promoted. Reasonable reason for a nice dinner, but after dating for over four years..." Kayla trailed off, setting the plastic figure back down and meeting Bucky's eyes, "She's not normally so bitter."

"They have no idea who you two are?" Bucky clarified, looking from Kayla to Steve, and the blonde soldier just shook his head before looking down at the kids and back to Bucky, reminding the man that neither did his children.

Bucky nodded, understanding Steve's signal, "She's pretty. Maybe she shouldn't wait so long for someone who's clearly not interested."

"Bucky!" Kayla yelped, her eyes widening at his bold words. "You can't say things like that!"

"Clearly someone had to say it. Who spends time with his brothers when he has a dame like that at home?" Bucky asked quietly, sending a coy smile to Steve, who just shook his head at his friend's teasing. But he wasn't wrong.


	35. Chapter 35

"Alright, we've got them cornered. We just have to flush them out. You got your weapon?"

"Yeah!"

"On my signal, three, two... one... go!"

Bucky rolled out of the way of his hiding place, firing his water rifle toward the opposing team as he hid behind a big tree near the edge of the yard. Steve used himself as a human shield as Sarah shrieked, turning around and taking the hit to his back to protect his little girl from the attack. With Steve distracted, James took this opportunity to nail his father in the side of the arm with a water balloon, effectively soaking Captain America and defeating him.

"I won! I won!" James yelled as he jumped up and down victoriously, waving his fists in the air. Bucky came up behind him and hoisted him onto his shoulders, laughing at Steve as he pulled off his soaked t-shirt and rung out all the excess water. Sarah scuttled off into the house to where Kayla was watching by the glass door.

Kayla opened the door to let Sarah in, and she walked over to the counter and reached up, struggling to reach what she wanted. She looked at Kayla, then pointed up to to a black dishcloth hanging over the edge. Kayla passed the little towel to Sarah, having a pretty good idea of where she was going with it as she scampered back into the backyard. Kayla crossed her arms and leaned against the glass of the door, watching as her daughter handed the tattered dishcloth to her father so he could dry off.

Steve looked down at his daughter, staring up at him with gentle blue eyes and a hopeful smile as she offered him the towel that wouldn't do much to even dry his hair. But the thought warmed his heart, "Thank you, sweetheart." Steve told her as he plopped into the grass, running the towel through his hair as Sarah sat in his lap, hugging him around his torso.

"Thanks for saving me, Daddy." She whispered, pressing her cheek to him as she clung to his bare skin. "You're my hero."

Steve looked up and met Kayla's glance as she wiped underneath her eyes, sniffling back the happy tears that threatened to spill out. It wasn't her daughter's words, but the way Steve glowed from them. It had been a long time since somebody thought of him as a hero.

"Again! Again!" James yelled loudly, pulling against Steve's arm to get him to stand and continue their game. "Water fight! Water fight!"

"Unless you're too tired, old man." Bucky winked at Steve, and Steve rolled his head back, staring up at Bucky with judgemental eyes.

"You're older than me." Steve grunted, turning his attention to Sarah, "You up for another game?"

"Will you still protect me?" She asked quietly, staring at James as he ran around the yard wildly, waving his tiny water gun in his hand while Bucky refilled his water rifle. Steve nodded at his daughter and her smile practically reached her ears. "One more game!"

Kayla laughed to herself, watching as Steve pulled on his soaked blue t-shirt and walked over to the hose next to Bucky, filling up his own water balloons and water gun to fight his old friend and son.

"Katie, I've got wine!" Tessa called as she let herself in the front door. She looked around, seeing the family room was empty, but it looked like a tornado went through with all the toys everywhere. "Katie?"

"Over here!" Kayla answered, signaling that she was in the kitchen by the table. Tessa walked up beside her, holding a wine tote in her right hand as she saw the battle restarting in the back yard.

Tessa's eyes narrowed on Bucky as Sarah threw a water balloon terribly and missed the soldier's leg, but he pretended to get hit anyway. Tessa set the wine tote on the table and snorted as she crossed her arms, "I didn't realize Steve's friend was still here."

"Trust me, he's very preoccupied with Steve and the kids. I need some of that wine. I currently have four children to take care of." Kayla laughed, grabbing the bottle of pinot noir and walking it over to the sink to uncork it. "How was work?" She asked Tessa, creating small talk to gauge where her friend's mood had settled.

"It was fine. Busy. Phillip left right after you guys did. Ryan stopped by to let me know he's going camping with his brothers again. To celebrate his promotion." Tessa put air quotes around the word promotion, which caused Kayla to scrunch up her face in confusion.

"It's still a promotion Tess..."

"It should have been a proposal. It's fine. It'll be fine. I know it's coming soon. I'm sure of it." Tessa assured Kayla as she pulled two wine glasses out of the cupboard for Kayla to fill. She passed the two glasses to Kayla, then turned around, coming face to face with Bucky. "Shit! Ahh, sorry." She caught herself, looking around the man to make sure neither of the kids had heard her swear, "You scared me." She told the massive man as she leaned back, staring up at him. He was dripping wet, and about two feet away, staring at her without speaking. The silence made Tessa feel like she needed to fill it with words. Any words really. "Can I help you with something?"

Bucky smirked coyly at Tessa before raising his head to look right over her, addressing Kayla, "Steve's wondering if you can get a couple of towels. I'm the least soaked of the four of us."

Kayla gave a firm nod, her lips drawn into a tight line, "Yup. Sounds about right. I'll be right back." Kayla shot Tessa a look as the brunette's eyes pleaded her not to go and leave her with this tall, muscular stranger who didn't say anything.

Once Kayla was out of the room, Bucky leaned against the counter and grabbed the wine bottle, pouring it into one of the empty glasses before passing it to Tessa. Her brow quirked inquisitively as she stared at the wine, then grabbed the glass and nodded her thanks. Bucky poured wine into the other glass and began sipping it himself, which caused Tessa to almost spit out her drink, "I didn't realize you were joining our wine evening?"

"I'm sure they have extra glasses. Plus, I don't get drunk."

"Oh, how presumptuous." Tessa blurted, feeling the color in her cheeks enhance under Bucky's stare, "Shouldn't you be going? The kids will miss you."

"I'm waiting on the towels," Bucky answered, throwing out somewhat of a timid, flirty smile. Tessa didn't fall for it.

She clenched her jaw, swallowing down the discomfort of being in the man's sights, "Well, I'm sure Katie can take them out to you." Tessa plucked the wine glass from his hand, noticing he hadn't used his left hand at all, and kept it tucked away in the pocket of his jeans.

Bucky saw her gaze shift to his arm and pulled his hand out of his pocket, revealing a flesh-colored prosthetic. "Lost my arm overseas while I was in the service. It, uh, kind of freaks people out."

Tessa stared at the arm for a moment before letting her eyes trail up to meet Bucky's. Her expression softened a little, feeling guilty about being so cold. "I'm sorry. Thank you for your service."

Bucky smiled to himself, proud that he'd gotten some friendly words from the brunette. "It's all worth it in the end."

"Here!" Kayla announced as she plopped a pile of towels into Bucky's arms, "Now go get my husband and kids dried off. I'll order a pizza for you four, Tessa and I are taking over the patio for the evening." Kayla noticed Tessa was now holding two wine glasses, one of which was half empty. She eyed Tessa, then Bucky, then the glass, but didn't say anything. Kayla shot Bucky a look that told him to scram back outside and leave her friend alone.

Bucky bowed his head submissively and smiled coyly at the women, backing up into the table and causing it to shake a little. He looked over his shoulder to see what he'd hit, then turned and scurried out the back door.

Tessa turned to Kayla and stared at her with wide eyes, "What is that guy's deal? He's so... so..."

"Tall?" Kayla suggested teasingly and Tessa clenched her fists and took a deep breath, resulting in a hearty laugh from Kayla, "He's really got you wound up, doesn't he? He's harmless, just an old friend of Steve's. He's just trying to push your buttons. He doesn't know anyone here. I think it means he likes you." Kayla chuckled, grabbing the half-drained glass of wine and tossing it back, finishing it quickly before pouring herself another glass. "Steve and Bucky will take care of the kids for the evening, how about you and I make our way outside?"

Tessa looked outside, seeing Steve toweling off James while Sarah walked around the yard slowly, pointing out things to Bucky as he followed her dutifully with Zawadi trailing along beside her. "Yeah, sure I guess. Bring the bottle."

Kayla led Tessa outside just as Steve carried a squirming James past them into the house. "Hey, Tess!"

"Hey, Steve," Tessa answered as she sat her glass down on the patio table, flopping into one of the two chairs and facing away from the door. She stared at the glass of wine that she held in her left hand, but she couldn't help but notice how bare her ring finger was. Tessa didn't notice as Bucky carried Sarah past her, watching her stare at her hand sadly. He didn't speak to her. He had nothing to say.

Once the glass door was closed, Kayla sat down across from Tess, watching her friend intently before speaking, "I'm sorry Tess. I know how disappointed you are."

"It's been so long, Kay. Is it never going to happen? Is Ryan _never _going to propose? Is it so bad to want what you and Steve have? You two are sickeningly cute, even two kids later." Tessa looked up to Kayla, leaning her cheek against her fist as her elbow sat on the table. "If you were me, what would you do?"

Kayla smiled to herself, letting her history with Steve Rogers run through her mind. She got it into her head the moment she met him that he would be hers, and nothing could stop her from achieving that goal. Not Hydra. Not Ultron. Not Thanos- not Tony Stark. But Kayla didn't exactly consider herself a role model. "I- uh- I guess it depends. I know how much you love him. Are you willing to be with him, even if you never get married? I think that's the real question."

"I really, _really _want to get married. I feel like I've given so much to this relationship and it's not going anywhere. I just- I don't know." Tessa was exasperated and took a huge drink of her wine before adding, "Ryan's married to his work already. I'm an afterthought."

"I've been through that," Kayla mumbled, sipping her wine as her eyes scanned over the yard. Zawadi rested at her feet, his eyes looking over to Tessa occasionally as she spoke. "Give him an ultimatum. Tell him you want a ring. See what he says. But you have to decide what you want."

"How did you decide?" Tessa prodded, lifting her glass toward the house.

Kayla just shook her head knowingly, "I didn't decide. It was Steve. Come hell or high water, it was always him."

The sliding door interrupted the women, and Kayla turned to see Steve opening the door for Sarah to run out, little tears streaming down her face. Kayla flung herself from her chair, kneeling down as the little girl ran into her arms, "What's wrong honey? Are you okay?"

"I- I- tripped and hurt- m-my knee." She cried into Kayla's collarbone, and Kayla pressed her hand against the back of Sarah's head to cradle her close.

Kayla pulled away for a second to investigate Sarah's knee, finding it already bandaged up, "Did Daddy clean it for you?"

"He said you'd kiss it again to make it extra better."

Kayla looked up and saw Steve standing in the doorway to confirm her story, giving Kayla a simple nod. Kayla leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the child's knee before giving her a beaming smile. "All better."

"All better." Sarah parrotted before turning on her heels and running back into the house past her father.

Kayla stood and met her husband at the glass, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, "You got everything under control in here?"

"She tripped over my foot. She needed Mommy."

"Mmmmhmmm, yeah, I'm sure." Kayla kissed him again before including, "Try not to break our children." She pulled back and drug the door closed, waving at Steve behind the glass. She turned back to Tessa, who was sipping her wine. Her expression told Kayla that she was right: they were sickeningly adorable.

**_Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay! I'm back from vacation and I'll be posting a chapter a day for a while to catch up! Enjoy the family fluff while it lasts!_**

**_Nikkita Starr- _**_James is such a little turd. And Tessa's a lot more patient than she should be, but she's not ready to let go of her Ryan. _

**_amberhardy-_**_ Bucky would like that! Ryan just has a lot on his plate right now, especially with Hydra getting closer and closer to where they are. _

**_Siobhan-_**_ Uncle Bucky is clearly the cool uncle. He's going to be really important for the kids growing up. You know, assuming everyone survives that long... _


	36. Chapter 36

Natasha Romanoff had her gun raised as she carefully tread along the edge of the brick building she was investigating in southern New Jersey. She pulled a pin out of her belt and began to pick the lock of the doctor's office, looking over her shoulder before pushing open the door.

"I'm in."

"I've got eyes on the doctor. He's in the southwest wing, keep north of that." Sam warned from his perch on the opposite building. He scanned from the doctor to where Spiderman climbed up the side of the wall, waiting for the cue to enter the building.

Natasha took the stairs quietly, arriving on the third floor in recond time to open up the window for Parker to enter. His mask faded into his suit, and he turned to Natasha, giving her a thankful nod. "Thanks Nat."

"Anytime. You take to the ceiling. I'll take to the basement. Keep your guard up." Natasha carefully made her way back down the stairs as Peter shot a web at the ceiling and pulled himself up, beginning to crawl upside down to get information about the increasing number of disappearances on the East Coast.

While Natasha snooped in the basement, Spiderman dared to enter the vent system in the room the doctor continued to work in. He silently crept above the doctor, the eyes of his suit zooming in to watch and record the doctor work as he chattered away on speakerphone.

"Listen, I've got the cyanide perfected, but it's not helping with the recruitment process. We've only got about two-hundred followers as of now, and that's not good enough for what the Boss has planned. I'm working on a mind control pill. Like a... a more long term roofie. I think it'll be more helpful in gaining traction if we stop giving people a choice... I know the authorities are on to us... it'll be worth it- I promise."

Peter shifted, and his foot slipped, slamming into the side of the vent. He hissed silently and gathered his composure, his eyes narrowing in on the doctor as the man turned to look up at the ceiling. He smiled as he squinted at the vent. "I gotta let you go. It seems the authorities have arrived."

The twenty-year-old Spiderman went scrambling through the ventilation system, trying to contact the other Avengers, "You guys, we have a problem!"

"Romanoff, the doctor's on the move, he's going after Parker." Sam took off flying from his spot, swooping in through the open door that Natasha had broken into. "Natasha, do you copy?"

Natasha didn't answer, but Sam soared into the main lobby of the hospital, running into Spiderman as he swung from the ceiling. "We've got to get out of here!"

"What did you do?" Sam barked back and looked up to see the doctor aiming a gun at them. Sam raised his shield as Peter cowered behind him, peeking around his side to shoot a web at the gun, clogging it and rendering it useless. "Great work kid." Sam applauded as he took to the air, flying at the doctor and kicking him to the ground, aiming both guns at him as Spiderman swung to his side, webbing up the doctor against the wall.

"Nat, we've got the doctor. We need extraction. Natasha?" Sam pressed his hand to his ear as Peter stood and faced his right, a beat before the door slammed closed. Without warning, he took off swinging, trying to catch whoever was fleeing the scene. Sam turned his attention from the young man to the bound man on the ground. "People are disappearing. What do you have to do with it?"

The doctor sneered up at Sam, a wicked smile across his dark features, "You may have stopped us a lifetime ago, but we'll rise again. You cut off one head, two more have taken its place." Before Sam could stop him, the doctor clenched something in his hand and began to froth at the mouth.

Sam backed away as the man began writhing, then slumped over, dead. Sam approached slowly, unfolding the man's hand to reveal a black box with a small needle sticking out of it, having injected the man's palm.

_Cyanide_

"Romanoff? Parker? Either of you copy? I've lost the doctor." Sam admitted sadly, letting his arm fall limp as his shield dangled beside him. He chewed the inside of his mouth as he waited for a response. The doctor had struck a chord with him. He was talking about Hydra. He was talking about Steve. Steve had cut off the one head of Hydra, and now two more had taken its place?

Peter swung back to the landing where Sam stood, his mask fading away to reveal a conflicted expression. "He got away. Whoever was with the doctor. I heard them talking, Cap. He said that he was working on a mind control pill. Cap... what are we gonna do?"

Sam met the young man's eyes, seeing the weight of his role in stopping this disaster in its early stages. Peter Parker may be an adult, but he was still too young to join in Hydra's war. A war that was inevitably being run by Johann Schmidt.

"Romanoff? Natasha, what's your twenty?" Sam tried again, but once more there was no answer. Spiderman could see the panic in Captain America's eyes, "Find Romanoff." Peter nodded, his mask reappearing and went swinging through the hospital, covering ground as Sam tried to decide what to do about the deceased doctor.

Sam held up his forearm and typed away on the holographic screen, calling the Director to give an update. "This is Sam. We found the doctor. He took a shot of cyanide but Spiderman overheard him talking about a mind control drug. I'll do a search of the place... there's one more problem... Romanoff is missing."

* * *

The next morning, back at the Avengers Compound, Sam called Bucky as he rested on one of the couches overlooking the lake. "Barnes."

"What's up, Wilson?" Bucky asked casually as he munched away on the brunch Kayla had cooked for him and the kids. Steve was back at work on that Monday morning, so Kayla was left alone with her kids and their new favorite uncle.

"I'm gonna need you to come home. There's been a... development." Sam sighed, massaging his temples as he closed his eyes tightly. "Romanoff's missing. Our best lead on the disappearances is dead by cyanide. And we have reason to believe that Hydra is working on a mind control drug."

Bucky shot Kayla a pointed look and stood, ruffling James's hair as he walked by, opening up the glass door and heading outside to talk in private.

"What's wrong with Uncle Bucky?" James asked sadly, looking through the door to see Barnes pacing across their patio, holding his phone in his prosthetic hand and holding his mouth with his real one. "Is he... is he gonna leave us? I don't want him to leave!" James yelled loudly across the table at his mother, causing Sarah to cower a little in her high chair.

Kayla pointed at James, effectively shutting him up without speaking. She looked from the boy to the little girl, pushing the miniature triangles closer to Sarah. James clenched his fists and banged on the table, his rosy lower lip stuck out in a pout that his mother wasn't paying attention to him.

Without looking up from Sarah, Kayla finally addressed the boy before his tantrum got out of control, "If you don't simmer down, you don't get to play with Uncle Bucky today."

"No, no no no!" James cried out again, but when Kayla's eyes rose to look at him, he closed his mouth quickly, understanding that his mom was serious.

Bucky slid the door back open and entered with a smile across his clean-shaven face. Kayla waited patiently for an explanation, but he didn't offer one, he just sat down next to James and continued eating his french toast and eggs.

Kayla watched him for a few moments as he shoveled the food into his mouth with even more ease than Steve. She cleared her throat, and he lifted his head, meeting her green eyes, "Yes?"

Kayla rolled her eyes and let her jaw sling open for a moment, trying to hide her displeasure in his coyness, "How's Sam?"

"He's okay. He's asking when I'm coming back." Bucky said evenly through a mouthful of food, looking from Kayla to James, who stared at him with hopeful green eyes, not wanting his new friend to leave.

Kayla nodded, tilting her head to the side as she looked to the ceiling, "Is there... a- a reason?"

"Needs me back at work."

Kayla stabbed her fork into her breakfast, shoveling the food into her mouth as James looked from Bucky to her, picking up on the subtle cues bouncing between the adults.

"Are you going away? Forever?" James asked sadly, and Sarah turned her head, realizing what was happening as soon as her brother said it. The little girl opened her mouth and a fierce cough erupted instead of words, causing Kayla to quickly pat her on the back in case she was choking.

"Not necessarily. I might go away for a little bit, but I'll come back. I promise." Bucky offered his palm to James for a high five, and the boy responded with a hard hit, one that would have caused a non-super soldier to wince.

"I know Steve will really miss you," Kayla mumbled sadly, rubbing Sarah's back with her thumb. "We all will."

As James finished his breakfast, he slid from the chair and tugged on Bucky's jean's leg. "Can we play?"

"In a minute. You and your sister go ahead, I'll be there in a minute. I've got to talk to your mom." Bucky shooed the boy away as Kayla lowered Sarah to the ground, and she toddled after him, babbling for him to wait up. As the kids left the room, Bucky turned to Kayla, grabbing her hand with his right one, "Natalia's missing. They lost her last night on a mission. Hydra is working on a new type of drug... Sam believes Schmidt is behind it."

Kayla sighed, dropping her head into her palm, "You've got to go. Part of me wants Steve to join you, but-"

"No. He has to stay here with you and the kids. Plus, the Avengers don't know he's alive. We'll be okay. We'll find her, I promise." Bucky grabbed Kayla's shoulder and she looked at him suspiciously.

Kayla couldn't ignore the danger that was creeping toward her and her family. It was only a matter of time before Schmidt found them. She believed in her friends, in the Avengers, but nobody understood the Red Skull like Steve Rogers...

Kayla and Bucky were distracted by the quick knocking that came from the front door before it flung open, Tessa sprinted into the kitchen, unfazed by the presence of Bucky. "LOOK LOOK LOOK!" She shrieked as she shoved her left hand in Kayla's face.

Kayla's eyes grew wide as she leaped from her chair to grab her friend's hand, studying the three-carat princess cut diamond ring that adorned her slim finger. "He... he proposed?"

"Yes! He proposed this morning at the coffee shop! Showed up unannounced and got down on one knee in front of everyone! I didn't think I'd see him until tonight! Katie, can you believe it? Can you believe he finally did it! The ring is so gorgeous." Tessa trailed off, staring at the shiny rock that glittered as she turned her hand. She caught herself staring and blushed as she smiled, "I'm just so happy."

"I'm happy for you Tess. It's about time." Kayla laughed, enveloping her friend in a hug.

"Congratulations," Bucky said dryly, surprised that the man had actually committed to marrying the woman. It wasn't that he didn't want Tessa to get married, he just didn't like this Ryan fellow she was now engaged to.

Bucky watched as the two women hugged and began chattering about wedding planning and bridesmaids and wedding gowns and all sorts of things that didn't really matter. Bucky couldn't pull his mind away from going back into the fight. Going up against a new Hydra, the organization that destroyed his life in every way. They had Natalia, and they were killing people left and right. They were recruiting soldiers, and if they had mind control in a pill, something that would be much easier to administer than the mind wiping the Winter Soldier had endured, they'd have an army in no time. So the wedding talk just hung around Bucky, reminding him of a life he'd never have.

"I actually need to be going. I'll go pack up my things and say goodbye to the kids. You'll let Steve know that work called, won't you?" Bucky asked Kayla quietly, running his hand through his short hair awkwardly. He felt out of his own skin with a clean-shaven face and a fresh haircut. He was just starting to feel like a person again instead of a weapon, but Captain America needed him to join the fight, and it was his duty to answer the call.

Kayla's happy expression fell as she turned to Barnes, her face solemn as she twisted her lips to the side before speaking, "We were hoping you'd stay longer."

"I was too, believe me. But I'll try to come back soon. They'll have to reschedule my vacation time." Bucky fumbled, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse that a regular job would create. "Plus, sounds like you two will be busy with the wedding plans and such."

"Oh yes, I'll basically be a permanent fixture at your house as we get the ball rolling." Tessa bopped up and down clapping her hands quickly. Kayla forced a sad grin, feeling conflicted about the happy proposal and the devastating news that Natasha was missing.

"Just- let us know if you need anything. Don't be a stranger, okay?"

Bucky nodded at the women, then turned to head upstairs and pack up his belongings. When James and Sarah saw him with his packed duffle, they went running toward the bottom of the stairs to intercept him. "No. No leave! No leave!"

"I have to. But I'll visit soon. I promise." Bucky knelt down and wrapped an arm around each of the kids, happy that James didn't notice how his left arm didn't feel fleshy like the other one. Bucky pressed a kiss to Sarah's head, then messed up James's shaggy blonde hair before standing, "Be good for your parents. I won't be gone long. I love you guys."

"Love you too, Uncle Bucky." The children chimed just out of unison, hugging his legs as he prepared to leave. He turned to Kayla and gave her a confident smile, promising he'd help make everything right. The kids let him go and he left, leaving Kayla to pray that his silent promise would come to pass.

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Nikkita Starr- **Tension yes, but Ryan FINALLY COMMITTED! About damn time!_

**_Siobhan-_**_ Isn't Uncle Bucky the cutest? Also sorry I dropped that ominous little hint. Unfortunately, there will be several attempted and successful deaths in the next couple of chapters. The suspense has just begun!_


	37. Chapter 37

Steve entered the front door, tired and dirty from a long day's work. A misplaced beam had caused quite a problem for the team, ending in a collapsing frame and a lot of overtime with all hands on deck to make up for the work lost. Steve raked his fingers through his blonde hair, panting as he latched the door behind him. It took a lot for the super soldier to feel winded, but he'd worked hard today. He was looking forward to sitting back with a beer and his best friend, shooting the breeze and putting his worries behind him.

Instead, he found Kayla and Tessa sitting on the floor with wedding magazines and a massive white binder sprawled across the carpet. There were scissors and glue and ribbons and swatches, and no room for Steve to sit down with his beer.

"Hey, guys. What's all this?" Steve asked cautiously, already having a pretty good idea of who was getting married.

"I'm engaged!" Tessa shot her hand into the air, showing off her diamond to Steve as Kayla smiled up casually from the magazine she was perusing. "He proposed this morning at the shop when he got home from his camping trip! I don't think they even went camping, I think he went away to get the ring. Isn't it perfect?"

"Congratulations! Good for you guys." Steve applauded with what little energy he had. He looked around the room, seeing the kids had already been put to bed. "Where's Buck?"

Kayla's eyes zeroed in on the magazine, but Steve could see she wasn't reading it. She was trying to come up with a way to explain to him where his friend had gone, "Work called." She stated without looking up, turning the page but still not reading, "They needed him to come back for an emergency meeting."

Steve heard the crack in Kayla's voice and knew her well enough to read that something was wrong. "Oh yeah? That's a bummer. He was hoping to stay a few weeks."

"Yeah, the boss called, needed him to come in. There was a snag on the program he'd been working on before he came to visit. They need his help to fix it. They lost one of the people on the project team. Seems like _she_ had an emergency come up and had to go quickly. Bucky is the only one who could replace her." Kayla raised her head to meet Steve's blue eyes, telling him everything he needed to know. The quiver of Kayla's lip told Steve who was missing and the tone of her voice told him it was bad.

Tessa pretended to be too preoccupied with her planning to understand their conversation, but after being friends with the mysterious Carter family for three years, she came to realize that they often knew more than they let on. While Ryan often became frustrated with the seemingly dim-witted Steven Carter, Tessa began to see the facade falling away when they thought she wasn't looking. When she'd pressed Katie for answers in the past, Katie had explained that Steve struggled with being out of the army and didn't know how to adjust back into civilian life. It was an explanation that appeared true after witnessing Steve and Bucky together because Tessa had never seen Steve Carter so comfortable around anyone besides Kayla in the three years she'd lived beside them.

Tessa finally lifted her chin enough to fully see Steve and Katie, noticing the way Katie bites the side of her index finger nervously from where she's sitting against the couch and Steve has his hands on his hips, his head bent back to stare at the ceiling in frustration. They didn't tell her to leave, but Tessa could feel the tension in the room rising, and her happy wedding planning had no place in it.

"I'm gonna head home for the night, I'll come over tomorrow after work if that's okay?" Tessa flipped her thick ponytail over her shoulder as she began collecting all of her notes and clippings from the carpet. She groaned as she pushed herself to her feet, scooping down to pick up the pile of wedding information she'd sorted through over the past several hours. "It's getting late, Ryan should be home soon. I should probably involve him in some of the planning." She chuckled, and Kayla pushed herself to her feet as well to get the door for Tessa.

"I'm really happy for you, Tess. We'll work on the wedding more tomorrow." Kayla promised, giving the woman a one-armed hug while holding the door with the other. As Tessa turned to leave though, she saw Ryan's police cruiser pull into their driveway next door, and he didn't look happy when he got out of the car.

"Ryan?" Tessa called from the front patio of Steve and Katie's home. "Is everything okay?"

"Thank God you're okay, Tess." Ryan came sprinting across the driveway and up to the front door, encompassing his fiance in a tight hug. "Haven't you seen the news?"

"No. No, I haven't, what's happening?" Tessa's jaw fell slightly, looking back over her shoulder at Kayla and Steve, who now stood in the doorway listening. She turned and looked up at her tall fiance- and held his arms tightly.

Ryan looked back at Steve and Kayla, nodding toward the house, "Are the kids asleep?"

"Yes," Kayla answered cautiously, taking a step outside the red door as if to guard her home from whatever danger Ryan would present.

Ryan rubbed his hand across his face, still keeping his other arm wrapped tightly around Tessa as he stared off down the street into the darkness. "Four men and two women went missing this past weekend. Gone without a trace. They didn't know each other, there's no common thread. Race, orientation, all different. This isn't a hate crime, it's just..." Ryan's head hung as he sucked in a deep breath, "It's my first real big case as Chief of Police. It's what my boss left the precinct to go work on. Now he's missing, too"

"I'm checking on the kids." Kayla yelped suddenly, rushing past Steve into the house as the blonde man let her in, guarding the door as he watched Ryan and Tessa.

He was getting closer. He had arrived.

"Just, be safe, okay? Tess, I don't want you out by yourself at night." Ryan looked from his fiance to Steve, "If you'd walk her home, I'd really appreciate it. Even going to work- it... it makes me nervous."

"We can't stop living just because there is danger. This is a happy day. We'll get through this together, I know we will." Tessa pressed her hands to Ryan's chest, beaming up at him in an attempt to calm his nerves. He softened under her touch, releasing the breath he'd held. She was right.

"Be safe you guys. Congratulations." Steve told the couple as he bowed his head and closed the door, padlocking it tightly. Zawadi stood dutifully by the door, watching his master carefully. Steve knelt down, groaning a little as he did. It wasn't as easy as it had once been, "You and me, we're getting old, buddy. We aren't cut out for all this excitement anymore." Steve sat himself down in the foyer, allowing the dog to lick his face lovingly. Steve still wore his work clothes and was still sweaty, but Zawadi didn't seem to care as he worked to clean off the sweat and grime from the man's face. "I just keep feeling like I should be doing more. I should be there with Sam and Bucky trying to fix this. It's my mess. It's my enemy."

Zawadi gave a low bark, then settled down onto the ground and laid his massive snout across Steve's lap. The soldier pet the dog's ridged back, letting the back of his head fall gently against the front door as he rested for a minute.

Steve didn't notice that Kayla was hiding on the other side of the stairwell, listening to him talk after making sure the kids were asleep. He didn't know that her heart broke at his words and her soul was crushed by the realization that Steve blamed himself. Steve didn't bring the Red Skull back from Vormir. Steve didn't accidentally restart Hydra. Steve didn't kill his best friend...

A lone tear fell from Kayla's eye, streaming down her pretty cheek to her tight jaw. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her breathing even, or else she'd give herself away. Kayla had tried so hard to fix what she'd broken, to repent for her sins. She wanted to live a quiet life and give her children and her husband everything. But no matter where she went, no matter what she did, her past would always haunt her. Kayla took a deep breath and began climbing the stairs silently, crawling into bed, and crying herself to sleep.

* * *

"In the past four days, we've had twenty-eight disappearances in New York state. Twelve in Upstate New York alone. Of the twenty-eight disappearances, only seven bodies have been recovered. Initial testing shows death by cyanide of all things, what year is this folks?" The news reporter asked her co-anchor incredulously, causing the man beside her to shrug.

"I don't know, Amanda, but it's sweeping the nation. As of today, there have been two-hundred and fifty-nine disappearances in the past four months. A quarter of those have been found deceased, while the others are still considered missing. Local governments have created special task forces to figure out who is behind all of this. Sources point to Johann Schmidt, a former Hydra Nazi who took the lives of forty-two people in 2023 at the Summit Gala in New York."

"Only time will tell if the Hydra dictator is behind all of this, but rest assured, the Avengers are on the case. Captain Wilson is taking the lead on the national investigation, trying to flush out the man who was the archnemesis of his predecessor, Captain Steven Rogers."

"Archnemesis?" The man chuckled in response, and the woman just shrugged with a perfect smile that glistened against her dark skin.

"I know, I know Alex, but these are the times we live in. All I know is if the Avengers are looking for him, they'll take care of him once and for all."

Steve adjusted his thick-framed glasses as his own color photo showed up on the screen alongside Sam's in his Captain America uniform. The large man shifted uncomfortably as a couple of people shot him curious looks, but he was distracted when James tugged on his light black jacket. "Daddy, can I have another muffin?"

"You've already had two muffins, which is one muffin more than your mother said you could have," Steve answered casually, earning a sassy glare from his four-year-old son. "Don't look at me like that. You know mom makes the rules, we just follow them."

"That's right, listen to your father, he knows who wears the pants in the family." Kayla winked at her son as she slid into the booth across from her boys, holding Sarah in her arms. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the newscast playing on the small, in-wall tv of the Brewhouse, "More disappearances?"

"The Avengers are investigating," Steve mumbled, taking a long sip of his coffee.

"The Avengers? The Avengers!" James squealed, bouncing up and down in his seat. He pointed up at the screen excitedly as they showed a clip of Captain America flying into a burning building just as the Hulk came jumping from the side, carrying three people in each arm as he landed on the ground. "Daddy, Daddy, can we see the Avengers?"

"You can see them right now, on the tv." Steve pointed up at the screen behind Kayla's head casually, looking down at his newspaper as he munched on a scone.

"No, no." James yanked on Steve's jacket again, begging for his father's attention, "I want to _meet _the Avengers. I want to say hi."

"The Avengers are very busy honey. And also we don't know them." Kayla answered matter of factly as Steve's blue eyes darted up to meet hers from beneath his glasses. She shrugged a little, handing a strawberry to Sarah for the little girl to reject.

"Maybe if the Avengers were a little better at their job, my _fiance_ wouldn't have to work so late every night." Tessa sneered playfully as she waved her ring at the family, setting down a try of mini muffins for her friends. "On the house."

James didn't waste any time diving in, grabbing a small muffin in each hand before shoving them into his mouth. Steve mindlessly grabbed one and popped it in his own mouth, chewing quietly as he continued to read the paper. Kayla rolled her eyes and groaned, looking up at Tessa with a forced smile. "Thanks. I'm sure they are doing the best they can. This can't just be one man, it's a very spread out incident..."

"And there are no leads. Ryan is so frustrated every night. How do two hundred people go missing and the only person we point fingers to is a lunatic who's been chilling in space for eighty years? I miss the good old days." Tessa sighed, leaning against their booth as she watched the news wistfully. "I remember growing up, and aliens and monsters and spies were just things in the movies. Now its real life. You just never know. Can't trust anybody."

Kayla looked up at Tessa sadly, feeling that weight of guilt in her chest whenever Tessa would go on a rant about how much she hated liars and manipulators and how thankful she was that she could trust Katie wholeheartedly. It wasn't fair, but its the life they had to live to keep their kids safe. Nobody could know, not even Tessa and Ryan.

"No. No, you can't." Kayla mumbled, sipping her frappuccino through a reusable straw, "That's what makes life interesting though. Before all of this," She gestured toward the television, which showed old news clips of the Avengers during the Battle of New York, "Life was boring. Now even the most boring of people have interesting lives, you know?"

"You're trouble, Katie Carter." Tessa slurred, eyes narrowing at her friend before turning to Steve, "Keep an eye on her. She's talking crazy." Tessa grabbed the now-empty mini muffin plate and went back behind the counter to help a customer. Kayla leaned back into the booth and looked up, seeing the screen above her head playing clips of her with the Avengers in Sokovia. Kayla scratched her head, causing a piece of auburn hair to fall in front of her face, almost reminding her that she wasn't that girl anymore. Just like the man who sat in front of her working on the crossword puzzle wasn't Captain America anymore.

* * *

On Thursday evening, Steve settled down into his recliner to watch a movie with the kids. He gave them each a juice box and grabbed a bottle of water for himself as they curled up into his lap, watching the movie on their television. After a while, Steve could feel a slight vibrating in his jeans pocket and shifted slightly to grab his phone without disturbing Sarah too much. She cuddled into his chest as part of the movie frightened her, and Steve shushed his little girl, reminding her he was there to protect her.

Steve didn't answer the phone call from Ryan, but instead let it go to voicemail, not wanting to distract his kids. After a couple of minutes, a text message came through, and Steve peeked at his phone out of the corner of his eye.

_It's been a long week. My brothers and I are going to the lake again. Wanted to see if you would like to join us?"_

Steve shifted his gaze away from the phone back to the television as the animated animals started to sing. He cracked his neck, causing Sarah to whimper, "No." She told him, placing a tiny finger to his lips to keep him from making the sound again. Steve licked her finger, sending the little blonde into a fit of giggles that caused James to shush them loudly, engrossed in his film.

Steve reached over and grabbed his phone from the side table, looking at it for a moment as he considered his options. He didn't really want to hang out with Ryan and his brothers, but he also knew Kayla would never hear the end of it if he didn't go two weeks in a row. This time he didn't have Bucky as an excuse. It would also be nice to go out in the world and do something other than work and potty train toddlers.

_Sounds great. Where should I meet you?_

Phillip and Jack shared a wicked grin as they looked down at Ryan's phone, hearing Ryan yelling from the kitchen, "Tess? Tess, have you seen my phone anywhere?"


	38. Chapter 38

**_Author's Notes:_**

**_Nikkita Starr: _**_People are disappearing because Hydra. Also yeah, poor Steve and Kayla and poor TESSA can't catch a break! At least Ryan finally put a ring on it. _

**_amberhardy:_**_ Ryan's brothers are the most shady. Very different from Ryan himself, in the upcoming chapter you get to see their personalities come out more and can see how different the three brothers are. Gives a good idea into what makes them tick. But Steve is definitely walking into a trap... _

Steve packed his green tent into the back of his pickup truck. Before it had only ever been pitched in the backyard for the kids. He had a small duffle bag with what he'd need the next few days, a couple of pairs of jeans, shirts, his black jacket, and glasses case. The man didn't really know what to expect from the weekend, but he hoped it would involve fishing and resting and reading and overall little to no effort on his part. Steve was excited, and Kayla was happy for him.

"Alright, you've got your portable chargers for your phone in case I need to get a hold of you?" Kayla asked as she zipped up a bag full of sandwiches for her husband, thrusting the lunchbox into his hand, "And you brought bug spray right?"

"Bug spray? I'm pretty sure I'll be okay." Steve scoffed, leaning over to give Kayla a kiss on the lips. "I'll be fine, Kay. It's just two days. I'll be back Sunday evening. I'm more worried about you all by yourself with these two rascals." Steve turned and scooped up Sarah into his arms as James jumped onto his leg and clung to him like a koala. "They are pretty ravenous."

James growled at his father and Sarah poked him slowly against the cheek. Kayla grabbed the toddler from her father, holding her by the gut so she could see him. "Blow Daddy a kiss." Sarah obeyed and giggled as Steve caught it with his hand and shoved it into the pocket of his plaid button-up shirt. Kayla leaned forward and gave Steve another kiss while Sarah shielded her eyes, "Be safe darling. I'll see you on Sunday."

"Maybe I'll get to fight a bear!" Steve teased loudly as he walked out the door backward, shrugging with his duffle in one hand and his lunchbox in the other. James growled again as Kayla shook her head, not amused. Kayla wouldn't put it past Steve Rogers to get himself into trouble in the middle of the woods with nobody around but his friends. It actually sounded like the most Steve Rogers thing that could happen.

Steve revved the truck to life and turned up the radio, smiling as he pulled into reverse out of the driveway and took off down the road toward the lake. A few minutes down the road, a call came through his vehicle, and he answered it happily, "Hello?"

"Mr. Rogers, you're coming to my neck of the woods and you aren't coming to see me?"

"Hello, Tony." Steve answered curtly, but his grin didn't leave his face, "Yeah, I'm going camping with my neighbor for a few days."

"Is she cute?"

Steve's eyes practically rolled out of his head before he snarled, "Tony..."

"Grown men don't go camping Cap. You're just trying to get away from the kids and the Mrs.- would have been easier to ship them off to the cabin for a few days. Or you could have called me and you and I could have gone camping. In my lab. With booze." Tony teased through the phone, but Steve just shook his head a little.

"I'm not trying to get away from Kay and the kids. This is actually her best friend's fiance, so I'm really doing it for her. And to spend some time outside doing something other than construction."

"Yeah, working must be awful, I'm loving the retired life. Morgan's already in school. Well, homeschool, but I think she'll graduate early. Takes after her dad." Tony groaned as he stretched, "So how close are you all gonna be?"

"I'll make sure we keep our distance, don't worry Tony," Steve assured his friend, looking at the monitor on the dash as if Tony could see him through it. The genius probably could. "Another reason I'm going is because he's a cop. If I can dig up any information on Schmidt from him, maybe I can pass it on to Sam."

"That sounds more like it, you're going on a mission and don't want Kayla to know. Well, keep me posted, if you, like, get in a fight with a bear or anything and need me."

"Kayla called you?"

"Texted actually," Tony clarified, and Steve scoffed at him, "Be safe Rogers. Your wife's worried about you."

Steve smiled to himself, feeling that warm feeling in his stomach that took him back to the beginning when Kayla wouldn't let him go anywhere without her because she worried about him constantly. She'd gotten over that... a little. "I will. Thanks, Tony."

"Anytime." The line clicked off and Steve pushed back his hair from his face, turning on the GPS in the center console, leading him out to the lake.

The number of trees increased significantly the closer he got to their meeting point, a fishing lodge about twenty miles from Tony's cabin. When the two-story log cabin came into view, Steve pulled his glasses from the center console and placed them on his face, adjusting them before pulling a black baseball cap onto his head. He parked his truck out front and opened the door, stepping out onto the soft dirt of the parking lot. Ryan emerged from the building with a big grin on his face, wearing a red button-up shirt that looked similar to Steve's, but Ryan couldn't fill it out the same with his lanky form.

"Hey there Carter! Long-time no see!" Ryan called as he approached Steve, holding out his hand to shake Steve's. Steve took it and shook it firmly as he looked around the place.

"This is gorgeous. Are we staying here? I brought a tent just in case."

Ryan clapped Steve on the back, leading him into the lodge, "Good, we aren't staying here, just hanging out, getting a few drinks in us before we head out into the wilderness." Ryan laughed and Steve could smell the beer on his breath as he exhaled. Steve looked around the open sitting room of the lodge, seeing Jack and Phillip sitting in two chairs beside each other, leaned over in a quiet conversation. Steve noticed they both had beers in hand, but neither of them was empty like Ryan's was. Steve took note of the way they smiled at him, then turned his attention back to Ryan.

"Thanks for inviting me. It's nice to get away from suburbia for a few days."

Ryan snorted, looking at Steve like he had two heads, "You asked if you could come, dude! I invited you last weekend, but your friend Buddy was in town."

"Bucky." Steve corrected as he tilted his head to the side questioningly, "You texted me last night and asked if I wanted to come this weekend?"

Ryan thought long and hard for a moment, trying to remember, then a lightbulb went off in his head, and he turned to his brothers. He stared at them silently, a mixture of anger and panic in his expression seeing as he was too inebriated to hide it. Jack shrugged teasingly, and Phillip just took another small sip of his beer before Ryan turned his attention back to Steve. "I- uh, I guess I did."

Steve's eyes darted from Ryan to his brothers, realizing he'd been right. Something was amiss. But he was already here, and if he left now, it would be more suspicious, and he'd have no idea why they asked him to come. But he wasn't taking any chances. Steve grabbed a beer from the cooler next to Phillip's leg and used the bottle opener on the table next to Jack to pop it open. "The more the merrier am I right?"

Phillip seemed surprised by his answer and shrugged, raising his bottle in a toast, "More the merrier."

Steve tipped back his bottle, taking a very long swig that Jack snickered at. After he pulled the bottle away, he pounded his chest with his fist, "Wow, that's stronger than I expected." Steve chuckled, then took another drink before falling onto the leather couch to the right of Jack. Once seated, Steve pulled out his phone and began typing a message to Tony.

_Get my wife and kids to the cabin, please._

* * *

Kayla was doing dishes when her phone rang. She looked over at it lazily as she wiped her hands. James waited impatiently for Kayla to answer, wanting to know who was on the other line while his sister continued to pick at her food, but not eat it. When Kayla saw it was Tony, she pressed the receiver between her ear and her shoulder, "Hello?"

"Hey Mrs. Rogers, what are you up to?" Tony cooed into the holographic phone that hovered beside him as he worked on his latest project. "Morgan's been asking about the kiddos. I was thinking since Hubby is out with his friends maybe you three would like to come visit?"

Kayla looked to James and Sarah, seeing them both looking at her for a clue as to who was calling. She and Steve hadn't quite figured out how to explain Tony Stark to their children yet, but for now, while they were little, he could just be Uncle Tony. Kayla pulled the phone away from her mouth for a moment, "You kids want to visit Morgan out at the lake?"

"Yes! Yes, we can play war like Uncle Bucky!" James hooted, thrusting his little fist into the air as Kayla deflated a little, pulling the phone back to her ear.

"They say yes, but only if they can have a war." Kayla deadpanned, unamused by the violent tendencies that her husband was inadvertently teaching their small children. "We don't have the car right now, think you can send Happy to pick us up?"

"Better yet, I'll come to get you myself." Tony bartered, flipping his hand to the side and enlarging the screen he'd cleared out of the way so he could study it better. "I could actually use your help on something. You sent Pep your formula, before you, you know, got executed."

Kayla's brows rose, unsure of where the conversation was heading, but she appeased the man by letting him continue, "Yes?"

"You think it's strong enough to counteract cyanide?" Tony asked, looking at the tablet as he ran some tests, "Because a lot of good people are going missing, and you and I could make a huge difference. Let Pepper send it out there from Stark Industries. They'd never think you're alive."

"I don't want that stuff anywhere around the kids. Yours or mine." Kayla hissed into the phone, turning away from her children to shield them from her words, "Why now Tony? This has been going on for months."

"I hacked into the Avengers database. Romanoff is missing. She could need it." Tony answered easily, watching as his test came back eighty-nine percent positive. "I can almost do it myself, but you're the expert. You've never messed it up. Not once."

"There's a first time for everything. I wouldn't let that be Nat." Kayla warned, looking over her shoulder as James stole food off of Sarah's plate. "When can you be here. I'll give it a look, but I'm not making any promises. I can't put my kids in danger."

"That's all I ask. I'll be there in an hour. I drive fast. I'll bring the booster seats."

Kayla groaned and nodded, knowing full well the billionaire couldn't see her. "Alright. See you then."

"Are we going camping with Daddy?" Sarah asked, trying to wiggle out of her high chair. Kayla closed the gap between them and unbuckled her, allowing her to slide out from underneath the chair into her mother's arms. Kayla pressed a long kiss to her daughter's hair, unable to shake the feeling that Steve had a hand in Tony's invite. Which meant he wanted them somewhere safe. Which meant something was wrong.

Kayla pulled away and smiled at Sarah, "No, we aren't going with Daddy, but we're going to go see some friends. You can run around and play by the lake. They have more doggies like Zaddi you can play with. It'll be great." She swallowed hard, trying to convince herself of it.

_It'll be great._

* * *

"This seems like a good spot to set up camp!" Ryan declared as he stabbed his walking stick into the ground. "Pitch the tents, start the fire. It'll be great."

Steve placed his hands on his hips and looked around, pretending to pant from the long walk. "It's beautiful. You guys come out here often?"

Jack nodded as he knelt down to unpack his tent, "Every couple of weeks. Brotherly bonding is what Phil calls it."

"It's important to spend time with family, especially since this one," Phillip pointed at Ryan with a goofy grin, "Is getting himself a wife! So this is a little bit brothers weekend, a little bit bachelor party, which is why we secretly invited you." Phillip winked, and Steve raised his head, considering this explanation.

"You bastards! You could have told me." Ryan laughed, still feeling the effects of his beer from earlier, "I'm so glad you are all here though. Really. I appreciate all the love and support, especially this week. It's sucked with the disappearances reaching us. I needed a break from the precinct."

Steve saw his opening and began to pry, lowering himself slowly with a groan to sit on a large log, "How's that going by the way? Tessa says you're working nonstop. I saw on the news the Avengers are getting involved."

"Yeah, they aren't much help honestly." Ryan bit back, rolling his eyes as he unzipped his cooler and took out another beer while Jack worked on his tent, "We are no closer today than we were Monday when we got the first report of someone in our area disappearing. The Avengers are working hard in New York and DC, which is fine, there are more people there. They don't care about us little people." Ryan added a little sadly, and Steve felt his back stiffen at the words. Where had Steve been all those years when the 'little people' needed him?

"I honestly feel safer out here than I do in town. Out here we have each other's backs. There's no other variables." Phillip added quietly as he pulled out a lighter and lit the cigarette that he held between his teeth. "Welcome to the brother's club, Carter."

"Thanks." Steve nodded, giving his best friendly smile. Phillip scoffed and Jack kicked his foot to get him to shut up. Jack shook his head, telling his brother to stop.

Steve wordlessly began reaching around and grabbing little stones, placing them into a circle to make a firepit. He grabbed onto two rocks and began smashing them together, eventually creating a flame. Jack and Phillip shared a confused glance, then turned to Ryan who just shrugged, "He spent twelve years in the army."

"Army man huh? Our dad was in the airforce." Jack said quietly, and Steve looked up to meet his glance opposite the firelight. The sun was barely setting, but the fire gave an eerie glow to the younger man. "He passed away thirteen years ago."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I lost my dad too. He was in the service. It's part of the reason I wanted to join." Steve replied quietly, matching the young man's somber demeanor.

"Dad was an ass. You didn't miss much." Phillip grumbled, staring at the fire as he smoked. "Jack here was only thirteen when Dad passed away. I was nineteen and ready to enlist. I changed my mind real fast when Pops went down with the ship."

"He believed in something. Sometimes that's important, Phil." Jack snapped back, and Ryan put up his hands to stop his brothers from bickering.

"Hey hey, that's enough. We're here to have a good time, remember? This weekend is about me getting married, and me having a happy life, and not Dad." Ryan barked at his siblings, and Steve looked up at the tall man with newfound respect. "Now," Ryan continued, pulling several short spears from his pack, "I'm making hot dogs, anyone want one?"

Steve slowly raised his hand, feeling his stomach on the verge of rumbling, even after eating all the sandwiches Kayla had packed for him. Ryan handed Steve a stick and sat down beside him, passing him the bag of uncooked hot dogs. Steve silently took them and began cooking his dinner, occasionally catching Phillip's glare through the cigarette smoke across the fire.


	39. Chapter 39

_**Author's Note: I saw Chris Evans at work today, and I'm still kind of reeling from it. We didn't speak. He didn't even see that I was there. But he smiled, and my gosh I about passed out. Enjoy this chapter and leave a review! **_

As the dawn broke over the lake, James opened his eyes with a start, then turned over in the king-sized bed to find his mother and sister still sleeping. "Get up! Get up! We have to have adventures today!"

Kayla groaned, pulling a pillow over her face as Sarah opened her eyes and stared at her brother with an unhappy expression. "Tired."

"No, get up! Let's go play!" James whined again, standing on his chunky legs before beginning to bounce up and down on the bed.

"Why must you do this child?" Kayla mumbled under her breath, pushing her dark red hair away from her face to rub her eyes. "Go downstairs and see if anyone else is awake. If they are not, do NOT wake them, understand?"

James didn't reply, but instead slid off the bed and landed on his butt, not understanding that any other child would have severely hurt themselves. There were a lot of things James didn't understand about his advanced physiology, but Kayla found that it worked better to simply make him think everyone was like him and to not bash things, smash things, or hit things because that's bad.

James slid down the wooden stairs into the kitchen, finding Pepper at the stove cooking eggs, "Hey James. You hungry?"

"Of course he's hungry, you seen his parents?" Tony called from where he sat at the kitchen table drinking his coffee. "Where's your mom?"

"Sleepin?"

"Did you wake her up?"

"Yup!" James exclaimed proudly, crossing his little arms as he stared up at Morgan, who worked diligently on her schoolwork. "Aren't you gonna play with me?"

"When I'm done with this physics equation," Morgan mumbled, shoving her dark hair behind her ear. There were several reasons Pepper and Tony decided to homeschool their daughter, the biggest being that she might spill the beans that her father was still alive. The second was from a very young age she started showing signs of being a gifted kid like her dad and grandfather. Homeschooling allowed Morgan to have the most regular life she could, even if she didn't spend a lot of time with other kids.

Kayla came wobbling down the stairs, holding Sarah in her right hand and her cell phone in her left. "Morning."

"Morning sleepy head. Breakfast?" Pepper called playfully as Kayla used the back of her hand to rub her eye socket.

"Yes please," Kayla mumbled, shifting her shoulders. Sarah leaned in close and whispered in her mom's ear, shielding her words with her little hand. Kayla nodded and turned back to Pepper, "Do you have any juice boxes?"

"Yes, we do." Pepper opened the fridge and handed a juice box to Sarah as Kayla placed her in Morgan's old high chair.

"What do you say?" Kayla prodded, nodding toward Pepper. Sarah turned to the strawberry blonde and blushed, looking down shyly.

"Thank you."

Pepper smiled graciously, "You are very welcome. We're happy to have you here. Aren't we Morgan?"

Morgan swiped her hand, closing her digital book and sending it away to focus on their company. She gave Sarah and James a grin, missing several teeth. It reminded Kayla that the little girl was still a child, despite everything she now understood about the world she lived in. At seven years old, Morgan was fully aware that her father was thought to be dead, and that there were aliens and wizards and superheroes. She knew who Iron Man was. And currently, she was being bribed by Iron Man to keep his identity a secret from their company.

"You heard from Steve this morning?" Tony asked casually, shooting Kayla a knowing glance as she poured herself a cup of coffee. Kayla's green eyes lifted ever so slightly to look at the man, blowing on her mug to cool the beverage. Tony nodded, "I see. You worried about him?"

"Where's Daddy?" Sarah asked quickly, catching on to what Tony was saying. Kayla's children were more perceptive than she would have liked.

"Daddy is with Uncle Ryan and his brothers. They are camping. They aren't far from here actually." Kayla assured the little girl, offering a genuine smile before frowning when her gaze met Tony's. She widened her eyes and shook her head threateningly.

Tony pulled up a screen, and Kayla immediately recognized it as her super soldier formula. She set the mug down, the click of ceramic on the counter the only noise in the room as she began approaching the hologram. Her eyes focused in on her formula, the weight of her success reflected in her green eyes.

"You sent this to Pepper... for a reason. Because you needed someone to have it- someone you trust. You didn't even know it had worked, but you knew that somebody had to have it. You can change the world, we need you." Tony told Kayla evenly as he rose to stand beside her, watching her reaction as she stared dumbfounded at the hologram before her.

Kayla swallowed and turned away, rubbing her forehead with her hand, "No. No, the world doesn't need this. I know you think I can stop the-" She looked to the three kids who were zeroed in on her, hanging on her every word, 'You think I can help, but I can't. It was a whim. It was a hobby. It was an _obsession._ I have no regrets, but it needs to be buried. It's done. I can't do it."

Tony and Kayla stared at each other for a few moment before Tony scratched his grey scruff, leaning his head toward Pepper, "Hey Pep, why don't you take the kids out to the lake. James was telling me last night he wants to learn how to skip rocks on the water. Morgan, you can show him how right?"

Morgan nodded and hopped off her chair, grabbing James by the hand and leading him out the door to the patio with Sarah waddling slowly beside Pepper behind them. Once alone, Tony began tapping his fingers on the wooden table, keeping busy while Kayla debated. She pursed her lips and finally turned back to the hologram over the table, picking out several elements and throwing them to the side. Tony raised his brow in question, stopping his incessant tapping for just a moment as he waited for an explanation.

"Those create the steroid effect. They aren't necessary. I didn't use them on you."

A smirk slowly grew across Stark's face and Kayla rolled her eyes. She opened another screen to the left of the table, showing a list of chemicals. She began flicking some away from her formula, and grabbing others from the list.

"Friday, run a test for me please." Kayla called into the room, staring intently at the diagram ahead of her, "See how this would hold up against cyanide."

"One moment please." Friday's mechanical voice answered, and a virtual simulation of the serum attacking cyanide in a human cell showed up in dull green. After a moment, the cyanide disappeared, but the cell seemed damaged. "Model rendered. Seventy-three percent successful."

Kayla turned to Tony and gestured to the model. "See. It's not meant for that."

"That's it?" He asked her, his eyes wide with disbelief, "You're not going to try again?"

"Why should I Tony? This is bigger than us. This isn't our world anymore. We have to leave it behind. All of it. There's no 'little bit in'- it's all in or not at all." Kayla's voice rose as she tried to explain her apprehension, but her passion died at her last words.

"And If they came after Steve, you'd just give up? If it was James or Sarah you'd just shrug and let them die? Romanoff is missing. What if it could save her?" Tony prodded, and Kayla's green eyes clouded over as she set her jaw. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, but closed it and turned back to the hologram. She began replacing more chemicals and adding in more regenerative drugs, occasionally glaring at Tony Stark out of the corner of her eye.

"So, you ever been fishing before Carter?" Jack asked as he cast out his line into the crystal blue of the lake. The sun was shining bright on the little fishing boat, and there wasn't quite enough space for the four men. Steve easily situated his fishing pole and sent the line flying away from Jack's, leaning back and adjusting his glasses to try and fix the glare. He eventually pulled his baseball cap lower onto his head, trying to shield his fake glasses from catching the sun's rays.

"No." Steve answered quietly as he held onto the pole with one hand, leaning against the metal of the boat. "Can't say that I have."

"Could have fooled me." Phillip shot back. Steve leaned his head to the side to meet the man's judgmental gaze. The oldest brother wasn't quite as kind as his two younger brothers. Something about him just seemed off, and he really seemed to dislike Steve.

Ryan sat silently as the front edge of the boat, smiling to himself as he gazed out at the lake. His mind seemed to be somewhere else.

"You alright, Ryan?" Jack asked, feeling a slight tug on his line. The youngest of the four began to yank back the pole but was struggling. "A little help?"

"Stop being a wuss, reel it in." Phillip laughed as the fish pulled hard against the line, causing Jack to lose his footing a little.

Steve's lightning reflexes caught the pole before it took Jack into the water, and he positioned himself to easily reel the fish in. Once the fish was out of the water, Steve released his grip on the pole and smiled at Jack, "Nice catch."

Jack stared at Steve, scanning the burly blonde in front of him. "Thanks. You, uh-" Jack gestured toward Steve's arms awkwardly.

"I know." Ryan chuckled, and Steve blushed, shifting uncomfortably under their scrutiny, "He never even played sports. He's an artist. He's really good too!"

Steve smiled shyly, pulling his cap down onto his head, "I'm nothing special, believe me-"

"He's being modest." Ryan interrupted, nudging a very unimpressed Phillip, "He's a good guy."

Jack hummed to himself, and Phillip cocked his head to the side, "Seems like it. It's nice to have you along Steve."

"Thanks for having me," Steve answered, but his eyes caught Phillips, and he saw the man's expression shift. One moment he was annoyed, and the next, he was smiling coyly.

The next few hours went by uneventfully, and around five o'clock Ryan started steering the small fishing boat back toward the docks. As they climbed onto dry land, Ryan's phone began to ring, and he quickly answered it? "Hello?" He looked to the others and mouthed, 'It's work' before putting up his index finger and wandering away.

"Good ole' Ry is in some deep shit with all these disappearances happening." Jack said thoughtfully, turning to Phillip, who gave him a firm nod as Ryan wandered closer to the campsite and away from them, "I'd just like to make sure I wasn't one of the ones missing, you know?"

"Yeah, it's pretty nervewracking, especially having kids." Steve agreed, carrying their box full of fish onto dry land, "You just have to be prepared for anything I guess."

"Exactly. Times have changed. We have to be prepared." Phillip agreed, showing off a toothy grin. "We're a part of a group that's working on a better world."

Steve's interest was piqued at that. "So, like... a militia? Are you working with Ryan and the police?"

"Not exactly," Jack admitted, shoving his hands into his pockets. Phillip shot his younger brother a dirty look. They had Steve on the line.

"No?" Steve asked, tilting his head inquisitively, "So you aren't working with the authorities?"

"No. No, we aren't, but we are working on making a better world. No more disappearances. No more murders. We just have to get everything under control." Phillip explained cautiously, gauging Steve's reaction as they slowly lost his support. "We think you'd be a great addition to the team. You should consider it."

"I don't really know. I don't know if I can commit to something like this right now..." Steve started, beginning to backtrack as he took a step away from the two brothers.

"What if we could make sure you and your family stayed safe, no matter what? Would you be interested?" Phillip asked, gesturing away from the lake for Steve to follow along with them.

Steve felt his stomach drop at the question, realizing he was being recruited into Hydra. And if it wasn't Hydra, who else could ensure he'd be safe? Steve pulled his glasses off to wipe them along the hem of his thin t-shirt, trying to buy some time to come up with a plan of action, "I'll do anything for my family."

"We figured as much. See, the people who disappear aren't quite as willing." Jack sneered wickedly, and Steve's eyes caught the glint of something metal hooked into his belt beneath his shirt. Jack shifted from foot to foot, looking up to make sure Ryan was still busy. "You've got to be on the right side."

Steve set his jaw, blue eyes peering defensively into Jack's cold, dark eyes. Steve's voice was low and deep as he spoke, his own feet settling into the ground to prepare for a fight, "Are you threatening me?"

"No, no we aren't threatening you, Steve." Phillip intervened, placing one hand up toward Steve and the other to Jack, "If you aren't interested, you aren't interested, that's your choice. There's no threat here."

"I'm not interested," Steve answered cooly, clenching and unclenching his fists as his eyes flitted between the two men in front of him. "I appreciate the offer, I really do, I just, I can't right now. I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, it's alright, we understand. We just thought we'd offer." Phillip said, grabbing Jack by the arm and pulling him back a little. "Just, uh, don't tell Ryan we asked okay?"

Steve's eyes narrowed, reading the terrain quickly, "He doesn't know?"

"He wouldn't approve of it," Jack said quietly, looking over to Ryan who was still on the phone by the campsite. "He doesn't understand."

"I won't mention it, I promise. I'll keep it to myself." Steve promised, looking between Ryan in the distance, Jack, and Phillip. He looked over his shoulder toward the lodge, contemplating leaving early. "Let's, uh, have some dinner."

Phillip nodded slowly, watching Steve carefully, "Yeah, dinner sounds good."


	40. Chapter 40

**_Author's Note: amberhardy- _**_I'm still reeling from seeing Chris Evans yesterday... I probably will remember that moment forever (even though its the second time I've seen him in real life, it was the first time I saw him smile in real life.) Anyway, it's about to get real..._

As the sun fell behind the lake, Steve sat by the fire. His foot tapped against the ground nervously as he stared into the flames, holding his hands together against his lips. His mind was working overtime, trying to figure out his next actions. He could sense a shift within the group after his conversation with Jack and Phillip. Phillip was more friendly than he'd been the whole trip, smiling grandly at Steve and keeping the conversation flowing easily. Ryan was none the wiser about their conversation before dinner. The younger man though, seemed tense and uneasy, watching Steve's every move with terrified eyes. Jack seemed to know something was coming, and Steve had a pretty good idea of what that was.

But as the last rays of daylight gave way into the darkness, Steve prepared to vanish into the night. It took everything in him not to text Kayla, to loop her in, but he didn't want her to worry. He was worried enough for both of them.

It was only a matter of time.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket, trying to decide who he should text. He looked up, catching Phillip's eyes. Phillip raised his beer bottle toward Steve with a devious smile, tapping the side of his face next to his eyes.

_The glasses._

Steve realized Phillip could see the reflection of his phone, and he clenched his jaw. He could put the phone away, and figure a way out on his own. Or he could take off the glasses, and face the questioning about not needing them. He chose the latter because _somebody_ needed to know. He couldn't disappear tonight without someone knowing what he'd learned.

Steve pulled his glasses off, hanging them from the hem of his blue shirt. Phillip's smile turned into a simmering frown, and he side-eyed Jack, trying to figure out what was happening. Steve quickly typed a message out to Sam before turning on a tracking app on his phone.

_Come to this location. ASAP. Found Hydra._

Steve shoved his cell into his black jacket, turning back to Phillip with a coy smile. Steve folded his hands together, fiddling with his wedding ring as he waited for his phone to buzz, an answer from his friend.

"I've never seen you without your glasses, Steve. You ever think of contacts?" Ryan asked casually, not noticing the tension between his friend and his brothers.

Steve shrugged, looking down at his hands with a modest grin, "Not really. I'm not trying to impress anyone, I've already got the girl." Steve grabbed the glasses and placed them onto his face.

"A beautiful one at that. She'll be a perfect maid of honor." Ryan pulled his hot dog off the stick into a hot dog bun, setting it onto the plate he had balanced in his lap. He picked up his beer and raised it in a toast, "To my groomsmen! That is if you'll all accept." He took a sip of his beer, looking around the fire at Jack, Phillip, and Steve.

Steve looked up in surprise, not expecting to be asked into the wedding party, especially at this moment. He was trying to make it through the night alive, not join a wedding with the two men he expected would kill him.

"Of course brother. No question." Phillip clanked his bottle against Ryan's and Jack agreed, slinging his arm over his engaged brother's shoulders. The three look at Steve in unison, waiting to hear what he would say.

Steve's perfect smile broke across his face, reaching all the way up to his blue eyes as he raised his own bottle. "I'm in."

Phillip zeroed in on Steve, shifting his jaw angrily at the blonde's answer. Steve gave the slightest shrug, taunting the oldest brother.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

"Well, on that note, I'm going to hit the sack. Sunrise fishing, right?" Jack said as he stood and stretched. Steve looked up at him, realizing he couldn't pull out his phone now without Jack seeing it from that angle. Steve forced a smile, nodding at the young man as he went to his tent and zipped it up.

"I actually think I'm going to head to bed too. I should call Katie, I don't want her to worry. You know how it is." Steve gestured toward Ryan who just laughed and pulled out his own phone.

"You aren't wrong, Tessa's been texting me nonstop. She misses me."

Steve bid Phillip and Ryan goodnight and went into his tent, zipping it quickly and pulling out his phone to see what Sam had sent.

_In too deep on a mission. Not able to reach you. Get out now._

_Shit._

Steve rubbed his hand along his face, feeling his stomach flop. He looked back at his phone and dialed Kayla, waiting impatiently for her to answer.

"Hey, honey. How's camping?" Kayla asked cheerfully, but Steve knew better. He could hear the way her voice wavered as she spoke. "You catch any fish?"

"I did actually. I did." Steve answered quietly. He couldn't force such a happy demeanor. He just wanted to hear her voice. "I caught a couple."

"Are you having fun? Are you being safe?" Kayla chastised, her voice even tighter than it was before. After thirteen years together, Steve and Kayla could read each other with ease. Kayla knew something was very wrong.

Steve choked out a dry laugh, rubbing his eyes with his hand, "No bears yet. How are the kids?"

"They are fine. Having fun. We're at Tony's."

Steve raised his head to the roof of the tent, thanking God that Tony got his family to safety. "Yeah? They're having fun?"

"They are. They miss you. Maybe you can bail on camping early and come visit us." Kayla teased, but the longing in her voice was real.

_Come home. _

"I, uh, I'm not going to be able to do that, Kay. I have to stay here with the guys. Finish out the weekend." Steve scratched the back of his head, looking at the front of the tent with a guilty expression.

Kayla could sense something was off, and she began to panic, "Steve? Do you need me?"

"No, no everything's great. Tons of fun actually."

There was silence for a moment, and Steve was half-convinced Kayla was already on her way to him. He prayed she wasn't. He had to make sure she stayed away. "Steve... I love you."

"I love you too, Kay."

"Please tell me you're safe."

"I'm doing my best."

Steve heard Kayla inhale sharply. That wasn't what she wanted to hear. "I love you."

"You said that already."

"I know." Kayla snapped back, holding her mouth for a second so Steve couldn't hear her cry, "Is it the last time you'll hear it?"

Steve chuckled, shaking his head at his wife's worry, "No, no of course not."

"Is it Ryan?"

"No." Steve defended quickly, shaking his head, "No."

"The brothers?"

"Mmmhhmmm." Steve hummed back, pretending to be listening to his wife. He could hear talking outside his tent, but he could make out Ryan's voice along with Phillip's, meaning he was safe. For now.

"Steve Rogers," Kayla whispered under her breath, allowing his real name to slip out since her children were downstairs with Morgan and Pepper watching a movie. "Come home to me. And we'll figure it all out from there, okay?"

"I will. I promise."

"Come in the morning. First thing. Do you understand me?"

Steve nodded, swallowing hard, "Yes ma'am."

"Don't you dare break your promise. I'll see you in the morning."

The line clicked and she was gone. He laid on his back with his knees in the air, playing with his wedding ring absentmindedly as the talking outside got farther and farther away until everything was silent.

Every moment felt like a year. Steve was beginning to think he was paranoid, that he was making all this up in his head. Had he spent so long living in fear of Hydra and Schmidt that he saw them in every face? Maybe he was overreacting. Maybe everything would be fine.

Steve picked up his phone- 10:52. He'd been in his tent for an hour already. The others had been silent for forty-five minutes. Everyone was asleep. Steve was safe. Everything was fine.

Everything was fine.

Kayla leaned back against the pillow, chewing on the side of her finger anxiously. Her husband was confident he could fix the problem. Alone. But it didn't sit well with Kayla. She opened up her phone and dialed a number, "Hey," She said, clearing her throat, "How soon can you get here?"

"Two hours?"

"That'll do. Trace my cell. Steve needs you."

* * *

A twig snapped.

Steve's eyes popped open to stare at the top of his tent. He looked to the side, seeing a shadow moving beside him. He slowly looked the other way and saw a second figure. Whispers that were far too loud echoed between the two men.

"Is he asleep?"

"He won't be if you don't shut up."

Steve heard the gun cock and felt his muscles tense. The hardest part of escaping would be getting out of the tent. Steve laid flat on his back, seeing the gun aiming toward his head.

Once it steadied, Steve lurched forward, unzipping the front as he did. He somersaulted away from the tent and jumped to his feet, turning around to see Phillip and Jack on either side of his tent. Jack was shaking, but Phillip was steady, aiming the gun at Steve.

"You made the wrong call, Carter." Phillip taunted, taking a step closer, "I thought you wanted to keep your family safe."

"My family will be safe, once I turn you two in." Steve threatened, holding his ground. He clenched his fists, and steadied his breathing, preparing to fight for the first time in four years. Excitement burned in Steve's veins, and he forced back the urge to smile.

Steve leaped forward, closing the space between him and Phillip in two large strides, grabbing onto the gun. Phillip used his free hand to sock Steve on the jaw, but the super soldier didn't even flinch. "Jack? A little help?"

Jack tentatively moved toward Steve, but Steve released one of his hands from the gun and grabbed Jack when he got close. He held the man by the jacket with one clenched fist and Phillip's gun with the other. Phillip kneed Steve in the thigh and he stumbled back a step, just enough for Phillip to regain full control of the gun. Phillip aimed the gun at Steve and Steve pulled Jack in front of him.

"You really want to do this? Is killing me worth your brother's life?" Steve asked as Jack trembled in his grip, squirming as he tried to pull away, but Steve held him by the arm now, and he was just too strong to get away from. "Put the gun down."

"Phillip, please..." Jack whimpered as Steve took a step closer to his big brother, using him as a shield and a bartering chip.

Phillip scoffed, "You don't climb the ranks of Hydra by being sentimental. Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made..." Phillip tilted his head, his eyes softening, "I'm sorry Jack. But I can't let this information get out."

Phillip positioned the gun at his brother's collarbone, which was held right in front of Steve's chest. Steve quickly thrust Jack to the side and lunged at Phillip, grabbing the gun and trying to wrestle it away from him. Jack watched in horror as Philip pulled the trigger, and the bullet went straight through his own head.

Steve let go of Phillip and the body dropped to the ground. He looked at Jack in terror, realizing what he had done. "I-I didn't mean to-"

Jack scrambled over to Phillip as Steve began to back away, looking around. There was movement from Ryan's tent. Ryan wouldn't believe that his brother had tried to kill Steve. He'd only see that a gun went off in Steve's hand, and his brother was now dead.

Steve turned on his heels and started running as fast as he could away from the campsite, but before he got too far, he felt something prick the back of his neck. He turned to see Jack hovering over Phillip with a gun in his hand. Steve continued sprinting, disappearing into the night at inhuman speed.


	41. Chapter 41

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Siobhan- **_**I saw him and it was magical. Soooo magical. Also, yes, Ryan is NOT going to be happy about his brother dying. As for who Kayla called? You'll have to wait and see...**

_**Nikkita Starr-**_ **Yes. The Drama. The Intrigue. The Chaos. **

Steve was almost back to the lodge when it started to hit him. His limbs began to feel heavy and his head began to hurt. Every step became harder and harder as he stumbled against the driver's side door of his truck. He pulled open the door and fell into the seat, using all his strength to pull his long legs into the cab. He fumbled with the key, struggling to make his fingers move. After getting the engine started, he attempted one of the unused features of his present from Tony Stark, "Friday?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers?"

"Autopilot on. Take me to Stark's cabin." He mumbled, feeling his consciousness begin to slip away. He grabbed for the center console and unscrewed a bottle of water, taking in as much of it as he could swallow as the truck began to drive up the road. He heard sirens approaching, meeting, and passing him, heading toward where he'd come. Ryan had surely called the police, and Jack would tell him what had happened. They'd come looking for him.

"Friday?" Steve gasped, letting the empty bottle fall to the floor of the cab, "Friday, how far are we from the cabin?"

"We'll be there in fourteen minutes, sir." The woman's voice replied with a hint of worry, "Shall I inform Mr. Stark?"

"Y-yes." Steve muttered, letting his head lull to the side once more. As he shifted, he felt that tinge in the back of his neck again and reached up with his right hand to feel the spot that bothered him. He found the tiniest dart stuck in the back of his neck. Steve very carefully grabbed it between his fingers and pulled it out, studying it with blurry eyes. "What the hell?" And his awareness fell away, and everything began to go black.

* * *

"Mr. Stark." Friday's voice echoed quietly through Tony and Pepper's bedroom. He groaned and rolled over, squishing his face in frustration from being woken up. When he didn't respond, Friday tried again, "Mr. Stark. Please be advised, Captain Rogers is on his way. He seems to be in critical condition."

Pepper sat up in bed first, looking over to her husband, "Tony." She shook the man beside her, trying to rustle him from sleep, "Tony, did you hear that?"

"No, I'm trying to sleep."

"Tony," Pepper said again, "Steve is in critical condition. He's on his way."

"Who?" Tony mumbled, chewing his mouth as he slowly began to stir.

"Steve. Kayla's Steve."

Tony chewed on Pepper's words for a moment, then suddenly his eyes flew open and he scrambled out of bed, registering what she was trying to tell him. "Pep, keep an eye on the toddlers will you, I'm gonna wake her up." Pepper swung her legs over the bed and grabbed her bathrobe before following Tony to the guest bedroom, where he was knocking loudly on the door.

Kayla swung the door open, her jaw stiff and eyes angry, "This better be important."

"Kayla," Tony spat out, looking at the kids sitting on the bed behind her, "He's on his way. The kids should stay here."

Kayla's eyes widened as realization dawned on her and she doubled back into the room to grab her sweatshirt and jeans. "Sarah, James, stay with Auntie Pepper okay? Please?"

Sarah nodded sleepily as Pepper swept into the room, sitting on the bed with the kids as Kayla hopped up and down, trying to yank her blue jeans over her thighs. She pulled the sweatshirt over her sleep top and followed Tony out of the bedroom, closing the door tightly behind her. The two came charging down the stairs and out onto the patio just in time to see Steve's pickup roll into the drive. It stopped and shut off, but Steve didn't get out.

Kayla took off into a sprint, faster than Tony could go if he tried. She got to the truck and flew the door open, finding Steve unconscious in the driver's seat, "Baby, baby wake up! Baby what's wrong? Tony! Tony help me get him out!" Kayla cried as Tony reached her. The two pulled his heavy body out of the truck and onto the ground where Kayla fell to her knees, letting his head rest against her legs, "Steve! Steve wake up!"

"Kay." Tony's grave voice called from the cab. Kayla looked up to see Tony holding a small dart between his fingers. Kayla looked from the dart to Tony to Steve, her arms beginning to shake as she stroked Steve's pale face. He's breathing, but barely, she could feel the slight rise and fall of his chest against her. Tony carefully sidestepped the pair and prepared to head back to the cabin, stopping for just a moment to turn to Kayla. "I'm gonna run some tests on this, but, I have a feeling its cyanide."

Kayla swallowed hard, looking down at Steve. "Run the test. If it's cyanide- bring the serum." She told Tony, her voice shaking as she leaned over her husband, pressing a firm kiss against his forehead as the tears began to well up in her eyes. "Damn it, Steve," she whispered by his ear, "You promised me." Steve shifted his jaw a little, and Kayla's face lit up when she realized he'd heard her. "Steve... Honey, it's going to be okay, I'm gonna take care of you... stay with me."

Tony came jogging back out from the cabin, a syringe in his hand, and that's all Kayla needed to know. He passed it off to her as he skidded to a stop, and Kayla stared at it for a moment, praying she'd done enough. Praying she wouldn't kill her Steve. She took a deep breath and plunged the needle into his neck, depositing all of the liquid into his system. Once it was drained, Kayla handed the syringe to Tony, a sign to give her some space. Kayla's body shook as she held Steve's jaw in her hand, stroking his ghostly cheek with her thumb, "Please. Please stay with me. You promised."

At her words, Steve's mouth moved again, and his eyes twitched under his lids. His leg shuddered a bit, and Kayla grabbed onto his hand, holding it up to her lips. In the darkness, she could make out the slightest bit of pink returning to Steve's face as he took a deep breath and coughed. "Kay-"

"Steve! Oh, Steve!" Kayla sobbed, shifting her body to pull his torso up to her. He was weak and fell into her arms, and she held him tightly as he coughed again. She stroked the back of his neck, soaking his black jacket with her tears, "Steve," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck, "Baby, what happened?"

"Hydra." He croaked out, his own face buried in the crook of Kayla's neck as he tried to move his arms. "Cyanide."

"Thank God for super-soldier serum." Tony muttered, leaning against Steve's truck as he looked down at the pair, "Luckily your wife prepared for this. Well, not for _this_, but-"

"It was Ryan's brothers? What did they do? Is Ryan okay?" Kayla gasped, pulling away and holding Steve by the face.

Steve blinked his eyes, trying to get them to focus as the cyanide was destroyed in his system. "They tried to... recruit me." He struggled as Kayla kept a tight grip on his cheeks, "When I said no, they tried to shoot me."

"They clearly succeeded." Kayla barked, moving her hands to Steve's shoulders as he stretched out his jaw. He finally looked alert but didn't try to stand.

"No, no Phillip tried to really shoot me. We struggled for the gun. It went off and killed him. I think Jack shot me with cyanide when I ran away." Steve got out, releasing a deep breath as he regained stamina. "When did you make an antidote for cyanide?"

"Tony suggested it. Thought it could do some good in the world." Kayla shot Tony a dirty look from where she sat, "Were you fucking clairvoyant, Stark?"

"I didn't expect this." Tony admitted honestly, pushing himself away from the truck, "But I'm glad I pushed you to keep working on it, or you'd be a dead man. Even super soldiers can't survive cyanide."

"I'm just so happy you're alright. I'm so happy you're here." Kayla blubbered as she let her face crash into Steve's neck again, this time almost knocking him back. He put his arms behind him to keep his balance, then wrapped one arm around his wife, holding her close to him as she cried.

Tony pulled out his phone from his pocket, answering it quickly, "What's happening, Pep?"

Kayla and Steve both looked up to Tony before Kayla scrambled to her feet, holding onto Tony's arm as he spoke. "Are the kids alright?"

"Some woman named Tessa keeps calling you. She's called you four times, nonstop." Tony answered as he slid his phone back into his pocket.

Kayla reached down and offered her hand to Steve, then used her strength to hoist him from the ground. Steve looked up at the second floor of the cabin, "She knows."

"I'll take care of this, don't worry about it. You go see the kids, I'll sort this all out." Kayla promised, taking Steve by the hand as he wobbled a little, then led him back to the house. They slowly trekked up the stairs and Steve opened the door to the bedroom. When Sarah and James saw their father they both let out a shriek, and James slid off the bed to run and grab a hold of his dad's legs.

"Daddy! You came back!" Sarah cried out as she reached up toward Steve. Steve sat on the bed, picking up James and giving Sarah a one-armed hug. Pepper passed Kayla her phone and the two women left the room, allowing Steve some time alone with the kids while Kayla dealt with Tessa.

Kayla looked at her phone for a moment, trying to figure out how to spin Steve's tale. She couldn't tell Tessa about Ryan's brothers. Not over the phone. She dialed her friend and held the phone to her ear, biting the side of her index finger while she waited. When the line came alive, Kayla startled a little, "Tess?"

"Oh, Katie... Katie, I-I-" Tessa wept on the other end of the phone.

"What- what is it?" Kayla stammered, not expecting so many tears from the woman. She was expecting Tessa to be angry- her husband killed her future brother in law. Tessa's voice was shaking on the other line and Kayla was beginning to worry that Ryan's brothers had killed him too. "Tessa, what's wrong?"

"The camping trip Katie-" Tessa wept, sniffling back tears. She sounded like she was on speakerphone, "Katie, I just got a call from Ryan. There was an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Kayla asked, not understanding what was happening. She knew what happened. Phillip tried to kill Steve. Steve accidentally killed Phillip. Jack shot Steve with cyanide. Why wasn't Tessa more upset?

"Katie, they-they are gone. Steve's gone, Katie. Ryan shot at the attacker, but it was too late. He found Jack, Philip, and Steve. They- they're dead. I'm so sorry Katie, I'm so so sorry. I- I didn't want you to find out from the police." Tessa sobbed on the other end of the line.

Kayla was speechless. She couldn't form words. She didn't understand. "What?"

"Katie, I'm so sorry. I don't know what to say. Please don't hate me. I just needed to tell you. I'm going to Ryan now, I'll get more information for you if you want."

"You're going out to the lake? You're going to see Ryan?" Kayla yelped, holding the phone close to her ear, "No, Tessa, it's- it's too dangerous, go back home. Tessa please..."

"The police were already there, the area is safe now, I promise, I'll be okay. I'm more worried about you. Are you still out of town? I'll be over the second you get home Katie. I- I can't imagine. Do you need anything?" Tessa asked quickly.

Kayla flung open the bedroom door and met Steve's gaze, nodding her head away from the bedroom to call her husband away. "I'll be back. Stay here." He told the kids and pulled the covers over them, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads before following his wife. He found Kayla listening intently, biting her finger nervously.

"Tessa, Tess, please go home." She pleaded, but the girl on the other line was determined to get to her fiance and make sure he was okay. After a moment, Kayla's head dropped, her voice cracking, "Okay. Be safe please."

As Kayla hung up the phone, Steve tilted her jaw up to look her in the eyes, "What's wrong?" He didn't get an answer though because Kayla froze for a moment before darting down the staircase into the kitchen. Steve followed her at top speed, finally jumping over the banister to meet her at the bottom, "Kay, what is it?"

"I have to go. I have to go Steve- Tessa needs me." Kayla squeezed Steve's arm for a moment before darting out the door to the pickup, driving off as fast as the truck would take her.


	42. Chapter 42

_You still coming?_

_Yes_

_Good, I may need the help._

Kayla knew better than to text and drive, but she also knew when she was walking into a place she shouldn't be. She looked quickly from the screen to the road, swinging the truck into the parking lot of the fishing lodge and throwing it into park. Kayla was practically jumping out of the truck before it stopped, seeing Tessa's empty car beside her.

"Shit." Kayla hissed, seeing that she was too late to stop her friend. The only option now was getting her out alive.

Kayla ran toward the lake, seeing a campfire in the distance and two people standing behind it in an embrace. She took a deep breath before approaching, suddenly very aware that she was completely alone. She pulled out her phone, no new texts. She was going to have to save Tessa by herself.

As she got closer, Tessa looked up from the place she was huddled against Ryan to see Kayla approaching. "Katie?"

"Tessa." Kayla answered evenly, not quickening her pace as Tessa sprinted towards her, enveloping her in a hug. Kayla grabbed Tessa's head and held it close as they embraced, but her eyes never left Ryan. The tall, lanky man watched her curiously, but there was no remorse in his face.

"Katie, I'm so so sorry. I- why are you here?" She stumbled out as she pulled away, looking Kayla up and down, "It's the middle of the night."

Kayla didn't look at Tessa as the little brunette stepped away, watching her friend with confused brown eyes. Kayla's focus lied with Ryan alone, "What happened to them, Ryan? Where's my husband?"

"The attacker came into camp. Hit Jack with cyanide. Got in a scuffle with Phillip and ended up shooting him. That woke me up so I shot at him, but missed. I found Steve down by the river. I'm so sorry, Katie." Ryan apologized, but his eyes were cold and unapologetic. It confirmed Kayla's suspicions.

Kayla smiled wickedly, and Tessa took another step away, suddenly very afraid of her friend. Kayla took one long step toward Ryan, her flat boots sinking into the dirt, "Where are Jack and Phillip now?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously." Kayla countered, veering off away from the firelight where Steve's tent was still pitched, the front flapping in the slight breeze. She looked toward the lake, then turned back to Ryan, seeing Tessa wrap her arms around his torso.

"Over there." Ryan pointed into the darkness, and Kayla could see two heaps hiding in the darkness. Tessa shuddered and hid her face in Ryan's chest as he swallowed thickly, watching Kayla as she got a little closer. "Steve's by the lake. I- I couldn't move him."

"Isn't it weird that the police have been here already but haven't moved the bodies? Isn't it weird that you're still here?" Kayla pressed, turning back toward Ryan and Tessa. She tilted her head and grinned, laughing almost, "You're a cop. You should know that Ryan. Unless you're trying to hide something."

"What are you insinuating, Katie?" Tessa asked slowly, holding tight to Ryan as Kayla swung back around, her hips swinging as she approached. "Why are you acting so weird?"

"Because there was no attacker, Tess. Phillip and Jack tried to kill Steve. Phillip got shot on accident, then Jack shot Steve as he fled. Which only leaves one body without a story." Kayla sneered back, only ten feet away from the couple now, "Who killed Jack? He's clearly dead." Kayla motioned toward the darkness. "Ryan?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ryan asked, his jaw quivering as he stared at Kayla with terrified eyes. She was a madwoman. "I know you're hurting Katie, I know how hard it must be for you to accept that Steve is gone."

"That's the thing, Steve isn't dead." Kayla interrupted, holding up her finger to Ryan. "Steve's with our kids right now, alive and well. When he left the camp, Phillip was dead, because he tried to shoot Steve and my husband defended himself. Steve is positive that your younger brother was still alive when he left, so why is Jack dead, Ryan?"

Ryan's arms quivered around Tessa, and the brunette looked from Kayla to Ryan, taking a step away from her fiance to face him. "What is she talking about, Ryan?"

"Steve's dead."

"No, he's not. I've talked to him. I've held him in my arms. Steve is alive. Unless you can prove he's not." Kayla spat back.

Ryan quivered, grabbing onto Tessa's arm tightly, "There's no way he could survive a shot of cyanide."

At Ryan's words, Tessa tried to bolt, but Ryan held her tightly as she pulled away. Kayla shook her head and smiled, "There's a lot about Steve and I that you don't understand."

"He would have been perfect. He could have had a great life. He chose the wrong side. So many do." Ryan explained calmly, digging his fingers into Tessa's arm. "I'd hoped maybe he'd take the bait, do what he had to- to protect you and the kids. Hydra is coming whether we like it or not, but this time, they won't lose."

"Oh, so you admit you're Hydra then? I'm sure your coworkers will love that. Put in charge of the police department so you can make sure nobody ever finds out where all the missing people go." Kayla sneered, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she laughed, "Fortunately I have friends in higher places. Steve didn't choose the wrong side, you did."

Ryan pulled a gun from his belt and aimed it at Kayla's head across the glow of the firelight, "You stupid bitch. You've dug your own grave."

"Oh, you're gonna shoot me? And then what? You're gonna shoot your fiance? Ryan, _you_ have dug your own grave, but you can get out of it. I can get you out of this." Kayla softened, shifting her weight and letting her shoulders drop. Tessa was still in his grasp, "Let me help you out of this Ryan. We all make mistakes."

Ryan rolled his eyes and groaned, changing his tactic and moving the gun to Tessa's skull. "I don't want her to have to see you die. It'll break her heart."

Tessa whimpered as she tried to pull away, but Ryan was stronger than her and wouldn't give up on his grip. Kayla's calm demeanor changed to tense and she put her hands up in defense, "No, no Ryan, don't do this. I can help you."

"I didn't choose the wrong side. I chose the side that makes the call who lives and dies, and soon there will be two options: join willingly or have your brain turned to mush. I didn't want the latter. I didn't want that for my family or for Tessa. My father believed in Hydra, it's why he was on the Hellicarriers when the Triskellion fell. He believed that Hydra would make the world better. Maybe he was right. This world is too chaotic, and Hydra seeks to control. I want to be on the winning side." Ryan explained frantically, still holding the gun close to his fiance's head. A tear rolled down his cheek, "I didn't want it to end this way for Tessa. It wouldn't have- if _you _hadn't come along. Now I have to kill you both."

"No, you don't. Walk away, Ryan. Put the gun down." Kayla's eyes flickered past Ryan, seeing movement in the trees, but the man's loud laughter broke through the silence of the night, stealing away her attention.

"It's too late Katie. You know too much. You both do. You'll disappear into the night, they all do. I'll kill you, and then your dope of a husband, and then the brats. I'll make sure there's nobody alive to mourn you." Ryan hissed, pushing the cold metal barrel harshly against Tessa's head.

"Please... please don't do this." She wailed, but her cries fell on deaf ears. For Ryan, it was kill or be killed.

But he chose the wrong side.

Kayla's pleading turned to fire at his words. Her eyes turned cold and flickered past Ryan, then back to the cop, "You've made a terrible mistake."

"No, no I didn't." Ryan laughed back, but Kayla shook her head, rebuking his claim.

"I would have saved you." She whispered, taking a step closer, "But you threatened my children."

"What are you going to do? You think _you _can stop me?" Ryan laughed again, taking in the woman before him. "You're pathetic."

"Tessa." Kayla warned, motioning with two fingers from Tessa to herself, "Look at me okay. Focus on me."

"Oh how sweet, trying to make it easier in the end. It's your fault, Katie. It's your fucking fault I have to do this. Because of your husband I had to kill my own brother, my own flesh and blood, just to make sure he kept his mouth shut."

"Tessa, focus on me, no matter what happens, don't look away," Kayla ordered, taking another step closer as Tessa stared at her, unsure of what was about to happen.

Ryan rolled his eyes and tightened his grip on Tessa, "I'm so sorry, love." He whispered in her ear, then he pulled the trigger, and the familiar ting of a bullet on vibranium echoed through the forest.

Tessa began to turn her head, but vaguely heard Kayla calling to run to her, so she sprinted to Kayla like her life depended on it and embraced her tightly as Kayla held her head against her chest, forcing her eyes away. She heard Ryan began to whimper and cry, and, after a moment, there was a loud snap, and the crying stopped. The silence was followed by a thud, and Kayla's grip on her tightened as the world fell away and Tessa began to feel the weight of what just happened.

"Tessa? Tessa, look at me." Kayla ordered, tilting her friend's face up to look at her, "Tessa, you're alright. Everything's alright."

"Ryan's Hydra." Tessa wheezed, leaning into Kayla but still not looking around her, "Ryan tried to kill me."

"He'll never hurt you again. He'll never hurt anyone again." Kayla murmured, looking over the brunette's head to see the body in the dirt. "I'm sorry this had to happen."

Tessa shook violently in Kayla's strong arms, then turned to look over her shoulder, but before Kayla could stop her, she caught a glimpse of Ryan's body and began to sob. She was ripped in half, a part of her wanting to mourn the man she'd loved for so many years, but knowing he would have murdered her moments ago.

"There was no other way. I offered him a way out. He didn't want it." Kayla muttered quietly, and Tessa grabbed her chest as her body began to fall to the ground. She was barely aware of two strong arms that reached out to catch her and keep her upright.

Tessa turned to the person holding her and balked, staring up with wild eyes, "Bucky?" She pulled away from Kayla and took a better look at the man before her, specifically the glint of metal on his left side. Her jaw quivered as she stared at the metal arm, understanding what the bullet hit and how she survived. He saved her life.

"I would have stopped him." Kayla informed coldly, looking Tessa straight in the eyes, "But Ryan threatened my children."

Tessa seemed to have gotten past the idea of her Hydra fiance dying and now moved on to the mystery at hand. She looked around between Kayla and Bucky with wild eyes, "Why the hell do you have a metal arm? And- and how the hell did Steve survive getting shot with cyanide? And why the fuck did you charge in here by yourself if you knew Ryan was working with the people behind all the murders?"

Kayla looked at Bucky with her mouth agape, trying to come up with an explanation, but the only explanation was the truth. It was time.

"Tess... I- I'm not who you think I am." Kayla started, taking a step towards her friend, "And neither is Steve. We- uh, we haven't been completely honest."

Tessa felt the lump in her throat growing despite how hard she tried to swallow it down and be okay with her best friend's confession, "Okay. Who are you?"

"My name is Kayla Ellis." Kayla said slowly, smiling meekly before adding, "I'm married to Steve Rogers. He's, uh, he's Captain America. And this," She gestured to Bucky, who hooked his thumbs in his black vest and stared at the ground, "This is Bucky Barnes. The Winter Soldier."

Tessa didn't move. She didn't breath. Her heart practically stopped in her chest as she chewed over the information she was given. She pushed back a chunk of brunette hair before looking back to Kayla, "What? You... you lied to me? All this time?"

"I'm supposed to be dead, Tess!" Kayla cried out, trying to grab a hold of Tessa, but she back away, jutting her arms out to stop Kayla from approaching. Kayla took a deep breath and then sighed, "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you so bad! But I couldn't. I had to protect my family. Steve and I had to protect the kids. Hydra wants us dead."

"They seem to want a lot of us dead." Tessa hissed, "And now my fiance's dead because of you. And you-" Tessa turned to Bucky, who kept his head lowered, but rose his eyes to see her, "You murdered someone with your own hands, how... how could you?"

"It's not the first time." Kayla lulled her head to the side and Tessa backtracked from the two even farther. Kayla lifted her eyes to the sky, praying for the words to help her best friend understand, "He used to be an assassin. Steve used to be a soldier. And I- well, I used to, and still will, do anything for my family. Including kill." Kayla shrugged, and Tessa wanted to throw up, unsure how to react to her friend's flippant admission to murder, but Kayla continued anyway, "We are the good guys Tess. We're the Avengers. Sometimes we have to make hard calls- like we made tonight. I called Bucky here. I asked him to come. Because it was you or Ryan, Tess. You need to understand, even if I hadn't come around, you would have died."

"No. No, no, no you don't know that. Fuck you. I don't even know who you are. You've been lying to me for years. Everything you've ever said was a lie, since the moment we met. I trusted you. I trusted you with everything, and you knew it was all fake. I can't believe you. I can't believe any of you. You call yourself heroes, but you only look after yourselves." Tessa screamed back at Kayla, tears streaming down her face, "You've ruined my life. You've taken everything from me. Why couldn't you just mind your own business?"

Kayla felt her legs go weak, and she clenched onto Bucky's right arm to steady herself as Tessa stormed away. "What have I done?"

Bucky wrapped his real arm around Kayla tightly, giving her a firm hug before pulling away, "Give her time, she'll come around...I'm going to check the bodies, see if there's anything useful.

Kayla nodded, praying Bucky was right. She couldn't lose another friend. She lost Tiffany to Hydra. She couldn't lose Tessa, too. Kayla watched the woman walk away slowly, wanting so badly to run after her and make things right. Bucky was rifling through Ryan's body and it made Kayla sick to her stomach. She'd known him. She'd trusted him. It wasn't meant to end like this.

Suddenly, Bucky shifted the body, and a slight beeping emitted from somewhere in Ryan's jeans. Both Kayla and Bucky turned to it, instantly alarmed by the noise. Bucky slowly reached into his pocket and found his phone, with a remote programmed into it, ready to go. Whatever the remote was for had been activated.

Kayla and Bucky looked up at the same time as Tessa collapsed onto the ground, causing them both to break into a sprint. Kayla somehow outran the Winter Soldier, sliding onto her knees and ripping holes in her jeans as she grabbed onto her friend, "Tess? Tess! Can you hear me?"

Tessa was choking and holding onto her chest, gasping for air. Kayla looked around the woman, trying to figure out what was wrong. Bucky knelt beside Kayla, scanning Tessa for anything out of the ordinary. He caught a glimpse of blood coming from her left hand, and gently grabbed it, lifting his hand to get a closer look. "Kayla."

Kayla's eyes darted to what Bucky was holding as Tessa slumped against her legs, no longer able to stay awake. Kayla choked out a gasp as she saw the small trickle of blood pooling under Tessa's engagement ring, clouding the diamond ruby red.

_The ring..._

"Bucky, get it off of her!" Kayla shrieked as she thrust her hand into her sweater pocket, fishing around for her syringe. She looked up in time to see Barnes pull pliers from his vest and snap off the thin band, before gently pulling the small needle from her delicate finger. Kayla was shaking as she pulled the cap of the syringe off with her teeth, spitting it away before jabbing the needle into Tessa's left arm. She exhaled loudly as she focused on draining the antidote into Tessa's bloodstream, using her free hand to check for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. "I hate that Tony Stark was right," Kayla mumbled, finally pulling the needle from Tessa's arm as Bucky pulled the smaller woman toward him, allowing Kayla to find the cap she'd discarded. "He was sure I had to figure it out." She continued, looking up at Bucky under her lashes as she shoved the syringe back into her sweater pocket, "If I hadn't..."

"But you did. You figured it out, and she's gonna be okay." Bucky assured Kayla quietly, pushing himself to his feet with Tessa limp in his arms. "Where do we go now?"

Kayla swallowed hard, looking around at the carnage they'd left behind. She couldn't just leave Tessa at home alone. She knew too much about her and her family now. "Let's get somewhere safe, then-" Kayla stammered, watching at Tessa's breath steadied, "Then we'll go from there."


	43. Chapter 43

Tessa wrinkled her nose as a cloud rolled away from the bright sun, causing it to pour through the windows without mercy. Her body hurt like hell, but she felt like she was floating on a cloud. As Tessa slowly pried open her eyes, she saw a beautiful rock fireplace in front of her, and windows on either side, letting the sunshine pour in. She pressed her eyes closed again, trying to remember the last thing she saw because she was positive it wasn't this.

Soft voices floated from behind her, and after a moment she could make out Katie's voice among them. The smell of bacon and eggs wafted through the cabin, and Tessa could vaguely hear the sound a dog barking in the distance.

"Friday," Katie's voice cut through the room clearly, "Find me a suitable replacement for carbonadium. Something that spreads through the bloodstream faster."

"Yes, Mrs. Rogers."

_Rogers. Mrs. Rogers. Katie... Katie..._

Tessa groaned as she tried to wrap her head around the flashes of memories that settled into her mind. The noise alerted those in the other room that she was awake. "Company's up!"

_That voice... I know that voice too. It's so familiar. _

"I'll go check on her." Katie's voice answered, and Tessa heard heavy footsteps approaching. She kept her eyes slammed shut as Katie got closer, and finally, her footsteps stopped and she spoke again, quieter this time, "How's she doing?"

"She's waking up." A man's soft voice answered from in front of Tessa, and the brunette's eyes flew open and focused on Bucky, who was seated in a chair next to the fireplace near her head. She wondered how she hadn't seen him before or heard him. He moved soundlessly and watched her with piercing blue eyes that made her skin crawl. When she tilted her head to get a better look, he offered her a weak smile, "Good morning."

"Where am I?" Tessa groaned, closing her eyes tightly again as she stretched, feeling terrible pain in her left arm that made her wince. She opened her eyes again and looked down, seeing her bare finger and a small prick mark in its place, "Where's my ring?"

Kayla moved around the other side of the couch and took a seat on the edge of the fireplace, watching Tessa cautiously as Bucky dug into the leather vest he still wore from the night before. He carefully pulled out her engagement ring, snapped in half at the bottom. He held it out for Tessa, just out of reach so she couldn't grab it. "Look under the diamond."

"It's ruined." Tessa whimpered, feeling tears form in her chocolate eyes, "Why-"

"See the needle under the diamond?" Kayla asked quietly, "We found a remote in Ryan's pocket. When we bumped it- it... you fell. I've been up all night testing it... it was cyanide."

"No. That's not possible." Tessa argued, sitting up, but she felt like she was made of bricks, "Ryan would never do that."

"Tessa, he had it armed and ready. All he had to do was push the button." Kayla argued, reaching out for her friend's hand, but she pulled away like Kayla was a snake. "Tess, listen to me."

Tessa stared intently at the ring, seeing the needle clear as day. She hadn't taken it off since Ryan gave it to her. There was no way there was foul play. He gifted her poison with the promise of death. "Ryan... proposed so he could get rid of me. He made sure he could finish it whenever he needed to. It was all a lie."

"Perhaps it wasn't always a lie." Kayla tried, but Tessa was accepting her new reality. She looked from the ring to the man holding it, giving him a sad smile.

"He would have killed me if you two hadn't shown up. He tried to blame it on Katie, but it was always his plan. You saved my life." She turned to Kayla, sniffing back a tear, "You both did. How? How did you save my life if he injected me with cyanide?"

"I'm so sorry Tessa, I'm so sorry." Kayla stammered, moving to the couch, and Tessa allowed it, but didn't reach out to her. Tessa let the redhead get closer, but didn't allow her to comfort her. The trust was broken. It wouldn't be that easy.

Katie lied. And she was still lying. She was still withholding the truth.

"Kay, Friday found a replacement for you, want me to run a test?" The familiar man's voice called from behind them, and Tessa turned around and gasped. The man looked up and met her stunned gaze with a brilliant smile. "Nice to meet you. Tony Stark." He introduced himself, turning back to his work.

"You- you're dead. You died. You- you aren't real." Tessa stammered, leaning against the couch as her head started to spin, "Where am I?"

"You're at my home." Tony explained evenly, watching as Friday ran his test, "Kay, it's a match."

"Good, see if we can condense it into a smaller dose. Same result, less liquid." Kayla called, and Tessa turned to the woman beside her with a slack jaw.

A clanging noise pulled Tessa's attention in a different direction, toward the cabin's kitchen where Steve was standing in blue jeans and a button-up blue shirt with a black leather jacket over it. He was sliding bacon out of a skillet onto a plate, bumping into a pan of eggs in the process. Tessa allowed herself a really good look at Katie's husband. "I always thought you looked familiar." She said quietly to herself, feeling her chest clench, "But I never considered my neighbor could be Captain America. The resemblance was weird, I'll admit, but you assured me- you made me sure that I knew who he was. Who you were." Tessa turned to Kayla, feeling devastated, "I feel like such an idiot."

"You're not an idiot... we worked really hard to keep you from finding out who we were," Kayla assured Tessa, but the brunette slapped her away, not wanting her comfort. "We had to. We had to protect the kids. Tessa, you have to understand."

"Where are they now? If you're both here?" Tessa asked Kayla, looking over to Steve who watched them out of the corner of his eye as he cooked. "Do they know?"

"Morgan knows. My daughter." Tony explained as he walked over, leaning against the back of the couch, "But the little ones? No. They have no idea. Pep's got them out by the lake with the dogs, playing on the shore. We didn't want them around while we were working on the antidote. Speaking of which, Kayla-" Tony nodded toward the holograms dancing over his table, beckoning his friend to come back to work.

Kayla hung her head, wanting to sort things out with her friend, but she stood and started walking toward her work station when Tessa's voice called her back, "I always knew his dad died in DC. I always just assumed he died doing the right thing. I should have known his dad's legacy would find its way to Ryan eventually."

Steve swallowed hard at her words, understanding his part in Ryan's demise. "Breakfast is ready." Steve's voice cracked, and he looked back down as he moved the eggs onto a plate, avoiding Tessa's gaze. If she knew the truth, and Kayla said she did, then Tessa knew that Captain America destroyed Hydra. Twice.

"I'll go get the kids." Tony told Kayla, wiping his screens away and pointing to Barnes, "Make yourself useful Buckeroo, set the table while the kids get cleaned up."

Tessa stood up, looking around as everyone else moved by her. She took in the beautiful log cabin, and saw Tony Stark himself calling out toward the lake that breakfast was served. She wandered by the table as Bucky appeared with dishes, setting them out silently as Tessa looked around in awe.

Tony came back into the cabin, rubbing his hands together hungrily, "You drink coffee? Tea? Whiskey? What can I get for you?"

Tessa looked back and forth before realizing Tony Stark was addressing _her_. "Oh, uh, water? Waters fine. I'm fine. Really. I- uh," Tessa scrambled to find the words she wanted to say to the billionaire, "It's an honor. Really. Thank you for letting me come here."

"Well you were unconscious and I didn't really have a choice." Tony replied with his usual amount of snark, "But you're welcome. I'm glad you're feeling better. Getting cyanide poisoning is no joke."

"About that... did you? Did you, uh?" Tessa gestured from him to her, then toward the table that had been his workstation moments before.

"No, that was all Rogers." Tony gestured to Kayla, who was talking quietly with Steve by the stove. Tony continued addressing the shorter woman, scratching his beard thoughtfully as she stared at the Rogers. "Kayla is one of the most brilliant minds of our time. She recreated the super soldier serum that created Captain America. She made a serum to counteract Gamma Radiation poisoning and as of last night she's figured out the antidote to cyanide. There's nothing she can't figure out when her family is concerned."

"Why are you telling me this?" Tessa asked sincerely, looking the man in the eyes as the children and Pepper reached the doorstep.

Tony scoffed, smiling as his wife pushed open the door and let the three kids in, "I'm saying the safest thing for her family would have been to let you die. Instead she told you the truth and saved your life. Think about what that means for you now." Tony warned as he greeted his wife with a kiss, "Tessa, this is Pepper. Pep, this is Kay's friend Tessa."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Pepper said cordially as the kids charged toward the sink to get their hands washed. Tessa looked from the strawberry blonde to the trio, noticing that the oldest brunette watched her cautiously.

"Morgan knows who I am. James and Sarah are completely in the dark. Steve and Kayla would like to keep it that way. Just as I'd like to keep my own secret. For my daughter's sake." Tony whispered, pulling out a chair for Tessa to sit before walking into the kitchen to help Steve and Kayla.

James and Sarah came crashing toward Tessa once their hands were washed, James pulling hard on her pant leg, "Auntie Tess, Auntie Tess! You're here to play?"

"I-" Tessa gasped, not knowing what to tell the child. She looked up to Kayla as she scooped up Sarah and strapped her into the high chair, then doubled back around for James.

"Auntie Tessa ate the bad marshmallows that Daddy ate camping, so she's staying here until she feels better," Kayla explained quickly as she sat between Sarah and James across the table from Tess.

"Uh oh." Sarah blurted, and Kayla plopped a small pile of eggs onto her tray, causing her to squish unhappily.

Steve grunted as he pulled out a chair next to Sarah, across from Bucky, who had wordlessly sat next to Tessa. Tony and his family filled the other end of the table and they silently began eating while Tessa sat with her plate empty.

"Aren't you hungry Auntie Tess?" Sarah asked quietly, pushing her eggs toward the edge of her tray.

"Drop those eggs and you'll be in trouble." Kayla deadpanned without looking, already knowing her daughter was offering up her portion. Kayla did look at Tessa out of the corner of her eye and added, "You should eat though. It'll make you feel better. The medicine takes a toll."

Tessa glanced at Steve, who dropped his face quickly so she wouldn't catch him staring. Tessa looked from Tony to Bucky, then back to Kayla, her voice soft, "The eggs look good."

Kayla shrugged lightly and snapped off a piece of bacon with her perfect teeth, "Steve's a great cook. Better than me. My talents lie elsewhere."

Tessa shivered at the auburn-haired beauty's words. They were so haunting knowing what she now knew. The woman across from her was the world-famous socialite Kayla Ellis, brought back from the dead only to die again. Tessa could only imagine the things she'd done- she wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

Kayla cleared her throat and addressed Tessa with a practiced smile, one that wasn't genuine but she'd became accustomed to giving it, "Bucky went back and got your car this morning, so you don't have to worry about that. If there's anything else we can do, please let us know."

"I'm going to lose my home." Tessa breathed in, and Kayla nodded a little as she lowered her head shamefully until Tessa added, "But I'll be okay."

Kayla looked up to meet Tessa's sad brown eyes and a tight-lipped smile. Tess gave a thankful nod to Tony and stood, pushing away from the table. Kayla wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to tell her friend. In the course of one night, her hopes and dreamed had come crumbling down and her life almost came to an end. What could Kayla Ellis say to fix all that?

"Give her time. Time heals everything." Bucky mumbled under his breath, staring down at his plate intensely.

"Not everything," Tony grumbled from farther down the table, earning a glare from Steve. Tony ignored Steve's scowl and addressed the blonde's wife instead, "You think you'll be able to get that serum up and ready to ship out by tomorrow?"

Kayla heard none of it because she couldn't look away as Tessa hopped in her car and drove away.

* * *

Kayla was home alone with the kids when the police showed up at Tessa's door. She slowly came out the front door with Zawadi at her side, peeking around the side of the house to see the interaction between Tessa and the police officers. It was only a matter of time.

Kayla saw the officers get out of the car and take off their hats, speaking quietly to Tessa before she broke down crying. Her hand flew to her mouth and she stumbled back a little, getting the news of her fiance's death. They spoke a little, and she shook her head back and forth, occasionally nodding slightly. After a few moments, she glanced over to Kayla's house and caught a glimpse of her former friend. Kayla swallowed, biting her lip nervously as Tessa turned back to the cops and shook her head. The officers each gave Tessa a comforting hug before getting into their car and driving away.

Once alone, Tessa turned to Kayla and walked over as the redhead came around the corner, coming into the light. "Hey."

"Hey." Tessa echoed, shoving her hands into her back jean pockets. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. We're all fine." Kayla gestured over to the house for a moment, shifting uncomfortably as she squinted in the sun, "How are you doing?"

Tessa deflated a little, forming a bittersweet smile, "I'm okay. I'm... I'm going to be okay. They told me Ryan's dead. Obviously, I already knew." She ran her hand through her long brown hair, pushing it away from her face, "They asked if they were with anybody last weekend."

"What did you tell them?" Kayla's voice broke. She pet Zawadi's head, letting the dog bring her comfort as she waited to hear what Tessa said.

Tessa looked at her feet as she wiggled her toes in her sandals, "I told them no. It was a brother's weekend."

Kayla nodded as she took a deep breath and released it, feeling at ease, "Thank you."

"I get it you know. I've thought a lot about it. I get why you faked your own death and why you pretend to be someone you're not. I know you're just trying to protect James and Sarah. I get that."

"But?" Kayla asked, hearing the strain in Tessa's voice.

Tessa shrugged, looking guilty but determined, "But you lied to me. You know how important honesty is, and you spent the past three years lying to my face. Your kids call me Auntie Tess and I had no clue who you were. You could have trusted me. I won't tell anyone, I wouldn't then and I won't now. I'm just sad you didn't give me the chance."

"I'm sorry. I thought we were doing the right thing. Maybe we were wrong, but put yourself in my shoes. What if I wasn't? I trust you now." Kayla argued, reaching out to grab Tessa's arm, but the brunette backed away a little, shaking her head.

"I'm gonna need some time Katie- Kayla. Kayla." Tess corrected herself and Kayla felt her chest tighten. "I'll keep your cover. I promise. I don't want anything to happen to those kids either. But we can't pretend that everything is the same. It'll never be the same. I need you to give me some space okay?"

Kayla hooked her thumbs into the belt loops of her skinny jeans, rocking back and forth as she nodded, her auburn hair falling around her face, "I understand. Thank you, for keeping our secret."

"Thanks for saving my life," Tessa answered, reaching out and squeezing Kayla's arm, a knowing smirk dancing on her lips as she realized why her friend was always so strong. "Take care, Kayla Rogers."

Tessa turned and went back into her house to continue packing up her belongings, preparing to move into a smaller place, somewhere far away from the mysterious Rogers family.

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**Angib23- **Your time is almost here my friend_**. **

_**Nikkita Starr-** No more Ryan! Yay! Also, what a glorious insult lol_

_**Siobhan****\- **So technically Ryan was always Hydra, and he gave Tessa the ring with the intention of killing her if need be. Tessa is going to have trust issues for a long, long time..._


	44. Chapter 44

**Four Years Later**

"James! Sarah! Hurry up, I have to drop you off at school before my train leaves!"

James came barreling down the stairs at top speed, sliding to a stop across the wooden flooring of their entryway. "I'm ready!" Kayla rolled her eyes at the eight-year-old as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, smiling smugly at his mother.

"Mom! I can't find my tennis shoes, have you seen them?" Sarah called from her bedroom, digging around under her bed. Kayla groaned and threw her head back, looking at her watch.

"Did you look to the left of the dresser?" Kayla called up the stairs as James poked her arm. She turned to her son and crossed her arms expectantly, "Yes?"

"Today's Friday."

Kayla blinked a couple times, not understanding his point, "Which means?..."

"It's ice cream day at school. Can I have money for ice cream?" James asked, rocking back and forth on his heels as he grinned up at his mom. "Pleeeaaaaassee."

Kayla fought back her own smile as she unzipped her purse and dug around for her wallet, pulling out a ten-dollar bill and handing it to James. He took it happily and folded it up really small and shoved it into his pocket, "Thanks, mom! I can have, like, three ice creams!"

"That's for you and your sister. Make sure she gets some too. You can finish whatever she doesn't want." Kayla told him knowingly as he whined, pouting that it wasn't all for him. Kayla looked at her digital watch again and tapped her foot impatiently, "Sarah, honey, we need to go!"

"I'm coming!" Sarah came running down the stairs, wheezing by the time she reached the bottom. The seven-year-old girl was lean, but cute. Her blonde hair was pulled back into low pigtails and she was missing her two front teeth, but her blue eyes twinkled mischievously as she tried to catch her breath. She held her large purple backpack in her left hand as she looked to her mom expectantly, "Can you tie my shoes?"

"Can't you tie your own shoes?" James mocked, and Kayla shot him a dirty look and a firm shake of her head. "What? I could tie my own shoes when I was seven!"

"And she can get a hundred percent on her spelling test, something you still can't accomplish." Kayla countered, kneeling to tie her daughter's shoes. She beamed at Sarah as she double-knotted her shoes, then turned to James as she stood, "We don't compare ourselves to others. Some things you're better at. Some things she's better at. We don't make fun. Now, let's go, I can't be late. Your father will be there at three to pick you guys up. I'll be back Sunday night."

Zawadi lifted his head to see James pull open the door, giving a loud bark as Kayla approached and knelt beside him, "I love you too Zaddi. I'll see you in a few days." Kayla crooned to the dog, pressing a kiss to his snout, "Make sure these three stay out of trouble alright?" Zawadi barked loudly, giving Kayla a slobbery lick across the face as she grimaced. She gave him one last pat on the head before standing and herding her kids out to the mini-van.

As Kayla drove, she occasionally looked up at her children in the backseat, "You two are strangely quiet this morning."

"I don't want you to go away." Sarah grumbled as she looked out the window, "Dad and James will just watch sports and action movies all weekend. Who will remind them that I'm a girl?"

Kayla's mouth twisted up into a judgemental gaze as she looked into the rearview mirror, "Your father is aware that you are a girl. And I specifically told him no action movies. Family-friendly activities only. Uncle Bucky's gonna stop by and make sure your father follows directions."

"Great. More boys." Sarah groaned, lulling her head to the side as she looked at her brother, "You'll be in heaven."

"Yes. Yes, I will." James agreed teasingly. "You said you'll be back Sunday night? Will you be home for dinner? Can we have pizza?"

"You'll be asleep when I get home, but I'm sure your father will let you have pizza if you ask nicely," Kayla answered nonchalantly, turning on her blinker as she pulled into the drop off zone. "Alright, you've got your homework?"

"Yes, ma'am." They chimed in unison, and Kayla leaned into the center to turn around and see her kids. She beamed lovingly at them, wishing she didn't have to go away. But she had a job to do too.

"Give me a kiss. I'll miss you guys." She cooed as they each kissed her on the cheek while the automatic door opened. "Be good. I love you two."

"I love you too." Sarah and James repeated out of synch before James turned and led his sister toward their elementary school. Kayla smiled sadly as they entered the building, then threw the mini-van into drive and sped away from the school zone toward the train station.

"Friday, the sparrows have left the nest," Kayla said casually as she drove quickly through the town. Her mini-van came alive as the woman's Irish accent greeted her.

"Hello Mrs. Rogers, what can I help you with today?"

"Get Stark on the line please," Kayla demanded as she looked at the time on the dash. As she pulled into the train station parking lot, Tony Stark's face appeared on her windshield. "Morning Tony."

"It's morning already?" Tony yawned as he poured himself a cup of coffee, "You on your way?"

"Yes, sir. Barely. Will Happy be there to meet me in Buffalo?" Kayla asked, looking around for a spot.

"He's on his way now. He has the photostatic veil and antidotes ready to go. Your flight leaves at twelve-thirty, landing in California three-thirty their time. Hotel's booked. She'll meet you around six." Tony droned on, tapping away on his holographic screen as he took a seat at the table. "You brought the passport and license right?"

"Which one is it booked under again?" Kayla teased, popping open her glove compartment once she parked the van. "I have to go, otherwise I'll miss this train. Give Morgan a hug from me."

The wrinkles around Tony's eyes crinkled as he smiled, "I will. Be safe."

Kayla turned off the van and shoved her passport and license into her purse and grabbed her briefcase before sliding out onto the ground. She smoothed down her navy blue skirt and unbuttoned her matching blazer, locking up the van before briskly walking to the station to catch her train to Buffalo.

* * *

Tessa was in the back of the shop, baking fresh muffins when one of her employees peeked their head around and cleared her throat, "Miss Davis, one of the customers is asking for you."

Tessa pushed a piece of hair away from her face and pulled off her gloves, discarding them before washing her hands, "I'll be out in just a moment, I've got to get the muffins in the oven. Tell them I'll be right there."

As the younger girl nodded and left the kitchen, Tessa pulled on oven mitts and placed the tray into the oven, setting the timer before telling another employee to keep an eye on them while she was out front. Tessa checked the mirror on the side of the wall, sliding her finger along her mouth to fix her smudged plum lipstick.

"Hi, how can I- you." Tessa's professional disposition fell when she saw Bucky Barnes standing on the other side of the counter with that stupid shy smile on his face. "Why are you here Bucky?"

"I wanted coffee? This is a coffee shop isn't it?" Bucky jested, leaning his right arm on the glass case as his left hand stayed shoved tightly into his brown jacket, "Can I get my usual?"

Tessa rolled her eyes so far Bucky wondered if they'd get stuck inside her head, "What makes you think I remember your order?"

"Because I come in here once every two weeks and order the same thing," Bucky's coy blue eye bore into Tessa, but she was immune to his charms. She was sure of it. As long as he didn't do that thing with his brows when he got all wide-eyed and confused looking because that always made her stomach flip. But his flirty, knowing smile had no effect on her.

Tessa scoffed, crossing her arms over her black apron, "I have a lot of customers. The Brewhouse has become quite popular." He did the thing. His brows rose and he looked surprised, and a little hurt that she didn't remember him. It made her feel guilty, so she let her shoulders fall and mumbled, "Large black coffee coming right up."

Bucky's eyes lit up at her words, and he tried and failed desperately to hide his beaming smile. "So you do remember my order?"

"It's not hard. It's literally plain coffee in a big cup."

"But you said you didn't remember. You lied to me."

"I picked up a few tricks from your friends," Tessa muttered, looking over her shoulder as she poured the coffee to give Bucky a snide look.

Bucky snorted, pushing back his long hair. He'd let it grow out again, stopping just above his jawline. Tessa hated the way it drew her eyes to his jawline because she quite enjoyed the sight of it, but that made her scold herself because she hated how he shamelessly flirted with her. He'd killed her fiance. He was an _assassin. _And his best friend ruined her life, so there was no way in _hell_ she was going to accept his advances.

Bucky watched her for a moment, noticing the way she tried so hard to avoid his gaze and the slight blush on her cheeks, despite how cruel her words had been before, "You know they really miss you. Kayla... really misses you. And the kids, you should see them! They've gotten so big now."

"Please stop. You've tried this before. It won't work." Tessa griped, turning and setting down the coffee between them. "Here's your coffee. On the house. Take it to go."

"You still single?"

"Bucky!" Tessa hissed, slamming her hand on the glass counter as she leaned forward, "No."

"You aren't single?" Bucky shrugged, rubbing his hand along his clean-shaven face before grabbing the coffee cup. "Good for you then."

"No, I am single, but no, I won't go out with you." Tessa clarified, turning her back on the man.

Bucky nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. He noticed that even though Tessa had ended the conversation, she hadn't walked away. She was waiting for him to talk to her again, so he didn't disappoint. "I respect that."

Tessa turned, staring at Bucky suspiciously with narrowed chocolate eyes, "You do?"

"If you aren't interested, that's fine. I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. I just wanted you to know I was interested." Bucky smiled genuinely at Tessa, raising his coffee cup in farewell, "Have a good day Miss Davis." He didn't wait for Tessa to respond, he just turned and left, giving her the space she wanted.

Once he was out of sight, Tessa twisted her mouth to the side thoughtfully, considering his words. Her teenage employee let out a long whistle and shook her head disapprovingly, "I can't believe you finally rejected that guy. He's been trying to ask you out for months. You're an idiot, by the way, he's gorgeous." The girl took to the register to take the next customer's order while Tessa took a step back.

She bopped her head back and forth, a teeny, tiny smile cracking her lips, "Yeah, maybe I am."

* * *

As three o'clock rolled around, Steve pulled up in front of the elementary school in his big silver pickup. He pulled into the pick-up zone, leaving it running but getting out, something he knew full well he wasn't supposed to do. As his taupe boots hit the ground, every mother within a twenty foot radius rolled down their window to 'get some air'.

Steve walked around the front of his truck, smiling grandly at the mothers he recognized, and giving a short wave to the crossing guard who waved back slowly, then fanned herself when she thought Steve was no longer looking. He leaned against the passenger's door and waited for the security guard to tell him to move as he pulled off his aviator sunglasses and used his thin black shirt to clean them.

The security guard waltzed up to Steve and sighed, shaking his head to tell Steve he wasn't surprised, "Mr. Carter."

"Richard," Steve answered smugly, pushing his glasses back over his eyes. His blonde strands fell to the side of his face, giving him a 'bad boy' look that he was far too old for. Not that any of the locals would guess that he was one hundred and thirteen years old. His wife liked it.

Richard sighed deeply, adjusting his own sunglasses as he addressed Steve again, already knowing it was a losing battle, "You know you aren't supposed to leave your vehicle in the pick-up area. We have this conversation every time you pick up James and Sarah. Katie follows directions."

"Her van's a lot shorter than my truck. I have to make sure my children get in safely." Steve countered, tilting his head to the side condescendingly, "Plus, nobody's complaining."

"Yes, I'm aware, but rules are rules, Steve. Can't you just, I don't know, not break them?"

The bell rang loudly, and all the kids came scrambling out of the doors of the elementary school moments later, "Next time, next time I _promise_ I'll be good. I swear. Scout's honor."

Richard shook his head in annoyance, walking away to make sure everyone got where they were going safely. It was a losing battle, as it was every time Steve Carter showed up.

A million-dollar smile overtook Steve's face when his daughter came bursting out through the door, running toward him at top speed. "Daddy!" She shrieked and jumped at him, knowing he'd catch her. He lifted her up and held her easily in one arm, beaming up at her as she grabbed his stubbly face between her fingers, "James didn't share the ice cream money mom left."

"Snitch." James hissed, meandering toward the truck at a snail's pace as he held his backpack straps. "She didn't want it anyway."

"James didn't ask. He just bought three for himself."

Steve turned and looked down at James as stared up at his father with guiltless eyes and shrugged, "Like I said, she wasn't going to eat it anyway."

Sarah let out a loud cough and Steve's face snapped back up to look at her as she covered her mouth with her little fist, "You okay Sarah?" She struggled to nod, keeping her eyes slammed shut as she tried to catch her breath. Steve smiled sadly at her, "Do you want ice cream?" Sarah looked down at James, then at her father and nodded pleadingly.

James narrowed his green eyes at his sister, and Steve used his free hand to pull open the door to the backseat. James tossed in is backpack easily, then climbed in as Steve carefully deposited Sarah in the rear passenger's seat. He closed the door slowly and walked around, winking at Richard as he climbed into the cab. Once the door closed, he looked over his shoulder at his kids, "Buckle up. We're getting Dairy Queen."

"James doesn't need more ice cream," Sarah whined, poking her brother in the arm, but he didn't seem to notice as he pouted sadly at their father.

Steve looked up in the rearview mirror and met James's eyes, "Are you sorry for using Sarah's ice cream money?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." He mumbled, his head dropping shamefully, causing his shaggy blonde hair to fall in front of his face as his father's did.

"You're sorry to me or her?"

"I'm sorry Sarah, I shouldn't have taken your ice cream money."

"There," Steve said happily, throwing his truck into drive, "Now, ice cream for everybody."

* * *

Three-thirty pacific time came too quickly for Samantha Turner, but the middle seat was empty, so she couldn't complain too much. The photostatic veil that disguised Kayla's face wasn't comfortable for hours on end, but she couldn't chance taking it off until she got to her hotel room. Only a few more hours, and then she could put the mask away. The southern drawl that her voice emerged as startled her initially, but she'd become used to it as she made small talk with the elderly woman on the aisle seat next to her.

Stepping off the plane in her navy blue blazer, Kayla buttoned it up and tousled her pale lilac pixie wig, giving it the messy look that was so popular nowadays. She only brought her briefcase, so she breezed past the baggage claim out into the San Francisco sunshine, raising her hand to hail a cab. Once seated, Kayla pulled out her phone and sent a text message to her contact, making sure their meeting was still a go.

_Six o'clock. Fairmont San Francisco. I'll send the room number._

Kayla held her breath, waiting impatiently for an answer. She'd come all this way, she needed to deliver the package. The Hydra situation had crossed the country, but their numbers were large, and in plain sight. The disappearances had stopped, which made it all the more unnerving. They'd gotten what they needed- an army to start taking over the world's governments. Kayla remembered the reach Pierce had when the Triskellion fell. She remembered how many people the helicarriers would have killed. But now, a very vocal, very public Johann Schmidt was leading the charge from the shadows, causing global chaos and destruction.

The Avengers focused all their energy on trying to find the Hydra leader, but he was as much of a ghost as his archnemesis. Sam Wilson worked day and night with his team to stop Hydra before they struck, often succeeding, but over the past six months, Hydra had become more successful. More dangerous.

The time had come to take down Hydra from the inside.

Kayla's cell phone buzzed in her hand and her eyes darted down, reading the text message before exhaling loudly. She was coming. Everything was going as planned.

As the taxi pulled up in front of the elegant white hotel, Kayla thanked the driver and handed him some cash before exiting the car and heading into the Fairmont. She approached the front desk, smiling sweetly at the older man behind a flatscreen, "I need to check-in. Samantha Turner."

"Of course madam." The man responded, quickly typing away and pulling up her reservation. "Is a city view alright?"

"Yes, that will be wonderful, thank you. Just one bed if you can. I'm here without my husband... I'm going to take advantage of it." The woman winked at the older receptionist and his eyes widened as he grinned, nodding slowly as he handed her a key fob.

"Enjoy your stay, Mrs. Turner."

Kayla trotted her way to the elevator, taking it up to the fifth floor. She bopped along with the soft music that echoed, sighing deeply as the doors open and allowed her to exit. Her heels clicked down the hallway to her room and she opened it swiftly, closing the door and looking around the quiet, modern room. She gently set her briefcase on the dresser and kicked off her shoes before going into the bathroom and carefully removing the veil, revealing her own face. Then she went back to the bedroom and flopped onto the king-sized, sprawling out like a starfish over the cushy mattress.

"Alone at last." She slurred to herself, closing her eyes until her phone began to vibrate wildly next to her. She turned her head and saw Steve's face on the screen, wanting to video chat. She accepted the call and grinned at the familiar face on the other side, "Hey handsome."

"You make it there safely?"

"I did. Are the kids with you?"

Steve hoisted Sarah up onto his knee and she took the tablet, smiling widely at her mother on the other end, "Daddy got us ice cream because James ate mine at school!"

"Saraaahhh!" James whined from Steve's other side, leaning in to see his mom too, "I'm sorry, I thought she didn't want it!"

"But Daddy fixed everything and took them both for ice cream after. Because I'm the best." Steve teased as he lifted his chin smugly, causing Kayla to shake her head in response.

"I miss you three. The conference starts in a couple of hours. I wish you were here with me." Kayla's sad smile was honest as she watched her kids and husband back home without her. "What's for dinner?"

"We had ice cream, I told you!" Sarah giggled, and Kayla looked to Steve for a real answer.

Steve scoffed, yanking his neck back in offense, "Obviously we had chicken strips with the ice cream."

"Oh obviously, because you'd never feed our children ice cream for dinner while Mom was away?" Kayla laid onto her back, holding the phone above her, "What are you guys going to do now?"

"Well, seeing as it's about- seven-thirty here, I'm going to have them get into their pajamas and then let them stay up late watching a movie." Steve informed Kayla, causing his children to cheer victoriously, starting to scamper off to change. "Wait, come back here!" Steve called to them over his shoulder, "Come say goodnight to your mother."

"Bye, mom. Love you!" Sarah blew Kayla a kiss, then scurried off to head upstairs before Kayla could reciprocate it.

James waved sadly to his mom, "I love you Mom."

"I love you too. Very much. Don't stay up too late okay."

"We won't. Night Mom." James turned and darted up the stairs two at a time to get changed.

Once alone, Steve turned back to Kayla, setting the tablet down on the table and leaning his fist against his cheek, "I miss you."

"I miss you too. This isn't as much fun without you." Kayla admitted, rubbing her tired eyes, "Maybe one of these trips we can make together. Leave the kids with... Bucky?"

"Yeah, you rethought that before you even said it, didn't you?" Steve chuckled and Kayla laughed loudly in response.

"I'd love to get away with you. It's been too long since it was just the two of us, Steve. And we weren't exactly taking advantage of it." Kayla said coyly, remembering the five years before The Blip, before they got their son and their friends back. Before they saved everyone. Before the Red Skull...

"I love you, Kay." Steve murmured, his lips twitching as he watched her in the screen's light.

"I love you too, Steve. I better go though. You need to make sure those two brush their teeth. Don't stay up too late, please? I don't want them to be happy when I have to leave." Kayla complained as she turned on her side, settling her cheek into the pillow.

"I won't. They'll never want that. I'm not _that_ great." Steve answered with a wink, feeling his heart clench at the inevitable goodbye. "Be safe darling."

"I will. Goodnight." Kayla blew Steve a kiss and shut off the phone, letting it fall to the side. She had an hour and a half before her friend arrived. Kayla felt her heavy eyelids droop, and allowed herself to fall asleep.

* * *

A firm knock woke Kayla up from her nap, and she found herself immediately alert, rolling out of bed toward the door. She approached slowly, prepared for anything, but knowing who to expect. She looked through the peephole and saw an unfamiliar blonde woman with a chubby face on the other side. Kayla opened the door slowly and watched the visiter distrustfully. "May I help you?"

"I was wondering if you had some glue I could borrow? The heel on my favorite black stilettos broke, and I can't bear to throw them away."

Kayla grinned like a fool and swung the door open wide, ushering the blonde woman inside. Once the door clicked closed, the blonde ripped the wig away, discarding it on the floor and pulled off her own photostatic veil to reveal Natasha Romanoff underneath. Kayla embraced her friend tightly, squeezing her more than she should, but Natasha would never admit that it hurt. "It's nice to see you too." Nat wheezed out to get Kayla to let her go. Kayla took a step back, beaming at her friend, but Natasha just crossed her arms and smirked back, "You bring it?"

"What, no small talk? Where you off to?" Kayla asked as she tilted her briefcase on its side, opening it to reveal two hundred miniature vials of white liquid. Natasha studied them as Kayla took a step back, sitting on the edge of the bed, "You're late by the way."

"When the boss calls a Hydra meeting, you show up. Running off could blow my cover. You know that." Natasha replied cooly, closing the briefcase and latching it before turning toward the door.

Kayla groaned, "You're really leaving? I came all this way."

"And even spending this much time puts both of us at risk. I've spent four years undercover, I've moved my way up. I'm trusted. There's a chance they'll take me soon to see Schmidt. He's calling more and more meetings with the leaders. They are planning something big. I have to go" Natasha explained quickly, grabbing her wig from the floor and readjusting it over her own red buzz cut. There was no need for long hair if she lived in her blonde wig anyways. She replaced her veil, her voice coming out as someone else's as she faced Kayla one last time, smiling sadly, "It was great to see you, Kayla. Give the kids a hug from me. I'll be in touch if I need more antidote. And possibly anti-serum. I think the time is coming fast. Keep it in mind." And with that, Natasha Romanoff left the hotel room, not to be seen again that weekend.

Kayla blew air out through her lips, collapsing onto the bed. If she'd known Natasha wasn't going to at least stay a while, she would have booked a return flight in the morning.


	45. Chapter 45

"Wow, two days in a row? Aren't I lucky?"

Bucky looked up from his newspaper as Tessa walked up to him, a coffee pot in one hand and the other placed firmly on her hip. The man smiled sweetly at her as he set the paper down, giving the brunette his full attention. Her long brown hair was pulled into a messy fishtail braid that cascaded down her shoulder over her black apron, and her dark mascara complimented her eyes. Bucky noticed her lips were painted a light rose color that matched her cheeks when he stared at her for just a moment too long.

Bucky caught his error and cleared his throat, "I'm taking some pastries for Steve and the kids. I figured I'd enjoy a little peace and quiet before I spend the day with two overly excitable children."

"Well, in that case, I'll leave you be." Tessa countered with a smirk, turning to leave, but stopping in her tracks, "You know, people don't read actual newspapers anymore."

"No?" Bucky asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he picked up his coffee with his right hand, taking a slow sip as he watched Tessa.

"No. Everything's digital. Why kill trees?"

Bucky was surprised by her answer, but he just smiled and opened his mouth, trying to come up with a good response, "Maybe I like having something real to hold in my hands."

Tessa tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully staring at Bucky's coffee until he opened up the lid and handed it to her. She shook her head, coming back to herself, then refilled his cup thoughtlessly, which caused him to smirk up at her. "Something on your mind?"

"Do you... do you feel things? With- the... other one." She gestured to the arm closest to her, shoved into Bucky's black jacket pocket as it always was when he came into the shop.

Bucky followed her gaze to his hidden left arm and removed his vibranium hand from his pocket for Tessa to see. Her eyes practically popped out of her head when the metal emerged from his sleeve and was terribly close to her face. "Oh. Oh, I, uh. Yup. That's a metal arm."

"Does it make you nervous? You seem nervous. There's a reason I keep it hidden. It has that effect on people." Bucky told her seriously, gauging her reaction carefully as he held it out to Tessa. The woman was captivated by the hand, toying with the idea of touching it, but also toying with the idea of walking away.

"Not nervous per se," Tessa admitted, and Bucky withdrew back into his pocket, picking up his refilled coffee cup to take another drink of the hot beverage. Tessa looked from his concealed arm to Bucky's face, "You had a regular prosthetic when I first met you."

"I have to change back into it before I go to Steve's. I don't want the vibranium arm around the kids." Bucky confessed. "Speaking of which-" Bucky pushed against the chair, sliding it across the tile flooring of the Brewhouse to stand. He grabbed his coffee cup and downed the rest of it, which Tessa watched in surprise. When he set the cup back down, he saw her impressed expression and added, "I only have one arm to carry the pastries with."

"Oh, okay. Let me get those ready for you, what do you want?"

"Whatever you recommend. Fill a bag. Cool Uncle Bucky needs to win over the kids so they'll prank Steve with me." Bucky winked at Tessa and she laughed, and it was the first time Bucky had ever heard Tessa laugh. She realized it too and quickly shut her mouth, walking wide-eyed back to the counter.

_Tessa. Tessa, what the hell are you doing? No. Stop. Don't encourage him._

After setting the coffee pot back into the coffee maker, Tessa turned around to find Bucky standing on the other side of the glass counter, leaning against it with his left arm, still hidden underneath his jacket. Tessa's eyes narrowed at him, and he met her stare with soft, patient blue eyes.

_Maybe I could give in, just a little._

Tessa packed up a bag full of muffins and scones and shoved it toward Bucky's right hand, "On the house. They're for the kids. Make sure you prank Steve well. He deserves it." Tessa winked and turned around, heading into the back room, where she could hide behind the door and try to catch her breath, because the butterflies in her stomach were doing backflips.

* * *

_What's the likelihood of you extending your trip a few days?_

Kayla felt her phone buzz under her cheek and it startled her awake at five in the morning, causing her to shift and fall off the side of the bed with a shriek. She pushed herself onto her knees, reaching up onto the bed to grab her phone, reading the text as she winced. She grimaced a little, not wanting to stay, but knowing Nat wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.

_How long?_

Kayla pulled the sheet away from herself and scrambled to her feet, stumbling over to the instant coffee maker to start the day. While the water heated up, Kayla moved to the bathroom, turning on the shower as she waited for her phone to buzz again. She was about to step into the shower when her phone buzzed, she leaned over to the bathroom counter and saw Natasha's answer-

_Two weeks? Maybe three?"_

"Jesus!" Kayla slipped, almost falling until she caught herself on the counter, hitting the video call button by mistake. She reached out for a towel just as Natasha answered, surprisingly wearing her own face.

"Hello? Are you naked?"

"Yeah, didn't mean to video chat you- three weeks? Three weeks Nat, I can't stay for three weeks! I have children who need me back home, Steve's probably feeding them ice cream for breakfast as we speak!" Kayla yelped, trying to keep her voice down seeing it was the crack of dawn.

Natasha rolled her eyes, leaning her head to the side in annoyance, "Steve can handle this, he's a highly capable, highly trained superhero, he can handle being a solo dad for a few weeks. I need you to come with me to Seattle."

"Why?" Kayla groaned, leaning over and turning off the shower. It would be a while before she got a chance to continue her morning.

Natasha grinned, happy to have her fish on the line, "I've been invited to accompany several higher-ups for a meeting with Schmidt in Seattle. He's planning something, something big. It'll draw in the Avengers. That's where you come in. I need help keeping my cover intact while making sure there are no casualties on our side."

"So you want me to make sure the Avengers don't die while you... what? Help fuel global destruction?"

"While I kill Schmidt," Natasha answered casually, and Kayla readjusted the towel she was wearing around her, blowing a hair away from her mouth as she tried to figure out if Nat was joking or not. Her serious face told Kayla she wasn't.

Kayla exhaled, biting the inside of her cheek as she let Natasha's plan settle upon her shoulders because Kayla knew Natasha couldn't be talked down from her ridiculous plan, "Must you? Because that sounds like a suicide mission."

"Chances like this don't come around every day Kay. If we cut off the leader, the cult will fall. Without the Red Skull, there will be no more Hydra."

"That's a stupid thing to say because it's already been proven untrue. Hydra grew within Shield for seven decades after Schmidt died, and they were just as deadly with Pierce as they were with Schmidt. Killing him won't kill Hydra. I'm not abandoning my family so you can get yourself killed. In case you forgot, I caused all of this to save your life. I'd rather you not throw it away." Kayla's blood boiled as she growled, clenching her fist so tightly her nails drew blood from her palm.

"I'm the only one close enough to try Kay. Let me have this. Please. I just need you to make sure the Avengers are safe. Can you help me with that?" Natasha snapped back, dropping her head into her hand. For four years, Natasha Romanoff had existed solely for this purpose, and she was asking Kayla to help her finish the job so she could come home.

Kayla held in the urge to scream and yell and berate Natasha Romanoff for her determination and loyalty. But Kayla knew she was going to follow the Black Widow into the lion's den once again.

"Fine. Send me the info. Tell me where to meet you."

* * *

James shoved this fourth muffin into his mouth while Bucky distracted his father and sister with stories about their dad when they were children.

"Buck, Bucky, please, no- that's so gross." Steve moaned as he buried his scruffy face into his hands in embarrassment. "They don't need to hear that story-"

"So I said, 'What's the worst that can happen? You gotta take Dot's sister so Dot will ride with me', but then- then he agreed and we rode the Cyclone and Steve threw up all over Dot's little sister. She screamed louder when she got off the ride than while she was on it. All of Coney Island could hear her berating your father." Bucky laughed loudly as he pointed at Steve, who was turning redder than the red sweater he wore. Bucky clapped his best friend on the back as Sarah giggled wildly, leaning back against the chair as she held her chest tightly.

"I had a weak stomach." Steve mumbled, reaching into the bag to grab another scone, then peaking in and realizing it was the last one, "Where on earth did all this food go?"

James perked up, looking terribly guilty as he wiped his arm across his face, smearing the remnants of his breakfast away from his mouth. "I don't know! Must have been Sarah!"

"I had one of those mini-muffins. The chocolate chip ones. These are from Aunt Tessa's shop right?" Sarah admitted proudly before asking Bucky where the food came from, "I miss her. I remember her a little. Mommy always says hi when we see her downtown, but they don't talk long. I think they got in a fight."

Bucky's brows rose at the young girl's comprehension of the situation, "Sometimes people grow apart. It happens. Your dad and I weren't friends for a while. We, we-"

"We reconnected after some time passed. Maybe Mom and Tess will reconnect someday too." Steve finished, lifting Sarah's chin gently, "You don't worry about your parents' problems, little miss. We'll be okay." Suddenly Steve was interrupted by his phone ringing across the kitchen. He stood quickly and walked over to it, seeing it was his wife calling. "Hello?"

"Hey honey. I, uh, have something to run past you?"

Steve could hear something was wrong, and he threw Barnes a panicked look as he took the call in the other room. "What is it, Kay?"

With Steve gone, Bucky addressed the two kids, "Alright, so, what do you want to do today?"

"Go to the zoo!" Sarah suggested loudly, and James pushed her to the side, accidentally knocking her over as his own ideas came tumbling out.

"Go to a game! Or- or go karts! Or mini-golf! Mom won't let me play mini-golf, only Uncle Tony out at the lake!-"

While James poured out all his hopes and dreams to his uncle, Bucky knelt down and grabbed Sarah under the arms to gently lift her to her feet. He was slow and careful, treating the little blonde like she was made of glass. He saw so much of Steve in her, but she seemed resigned to the fact that she wasn't strong or fast like her family. She'd inadvertently saved her brother from the realization that he was different- he just thought she was smaller than normal.

"Are you okay?" Bucky asked quietly as James continued talking loudly, trying to get the attention away from his little sister.

Sarah held onto Bucky's hands to steady herself, nodding confidently up at him. "Yup. This happens a lot. I fall over a lot."

Bucky bunched his eyebrows together, wanting to explain to Sarah that James didn't know his own strength, but that seemed like a discovery that needed to come from her parents. "Okay. As long as you're alright. So," Bucky addressed James, finally getting the boy to shut up, "Sarah wants to go to the zoo and James wants to go... everywhere. We'll run the ideas past your father and choose whichever he likes the least."

Bucky looked up to see Steve hang up the phone tentatively and gaze down at it with his big blue puppy dog eyes. "You alright there Steve?"

"Umm, yeah, I'm okay. Kids! I just heard from your mom," Steve started, meandering back to the kitchen, "She's not coming home tomorrow like planned. It's actually gonna be a while. Two, maybe three weeks."

"Three weeks! That's, that's almost a month!" Sarah spat out worriedly, looking between her father and brother as she plopped into a kitchen chair. "I'm stuck with only boys for the next month?"

"Does this mean we can eat ice cream every day?!" James exclaimed loudly, tugging on Steve's sleeve, "Mom doesn't have to know!"

"No, no we aren't eating ice cream every day, I don't want your mother to kill me," Steve grumbled as he reached into the pastry bag and remembered it was empty. Bucky held back a laugh at Steve's frustrated face.

"I mean, I can stay. As far as I know, I don't have to be back to work. I can help you take care of the kids for a few weeks- if you'll have me..." Bucky offered, but Steve could see a shimmer of hope in his best friend's blue eyes. Bucky wanted to stay and it wasn't to babysit.

Steve raised his brow suspiciously, "Oh, so you can spend every morning at the Brewhouse?"

James and Sarah shared a knowing look, then James turned to his father, "I'm hungry, can we get lunch?"

"You just ate, like, eight pastries? Where are you putting it?" Steve asked in disbelief, gesturing from the empty bag back to his son, "You don't need more food."

"I'm hungry too. James ate all the pastries. Can we go out for lunch Dad? Please!" Sarah begged as she wrapped her arm around her father's waist and leaned her head against his side, looking up at him with big, sad blue eyes.

Steve picked up his daughter and turned to Bucky, "You have somewhere in mind?"

Twenty minutes later, James and Sarah led the charge back into the Brewhouse where they joined the long line of patrons waiting for their Saturday afternoon coffee and lunch deals. Tessa had grown the business quite a bit in the past seven years since she bought it, turning it from a humble coffee shop into a booming cafe. Tessa didn't mind being busy. It kept her mind off the fact that her fiance tried to murder her and her best friend was actually a mad scientist who faked her death to be with Captain America.

"Daddy, can I get a cupcake? I promise I'll eat the whole thing! I like the vanilla one with rainbow frosting and unicorn sprinkles. Please?" Sarah tugged on Steve's shirt as he checked his phone, wishing he'd hear from his wife. His heart hurt thinking about her being out in California with Natasha. A quiet life was what they agreed on. Going on a long-term undercover mission with an assassin wasn't exactly quiet.

"Dad? Dad?" Sarah repeated louder each time until she finally turned to Bucky and huffed, "What's wrong with him?"

"He misses your mom," Bucky answered softly as he stared at the line ahead of them, leaning around people to get a view of the counter. He could see the high school girl who worked here on weekends, but no sign of Tessa.

"What's wrong with you?" James kicked at Bucky's boot, frustrated that neither of the adults were paying attention to him and his sister. "Why are you acting so weird?"

Steve finally looked up from his cell phone when he realized they were next in line, "Sarah wants a rainbow cupcake- wait, that's not lunch, what else do you want?" Steve turned and looked down at his young daughter and she hummed to herself for a moment while James began talking over her.

"Can I get a club sandwich and a chocolate cake? Let's just buy the whole cake, okay? We don't have to tell mom..."

"Sarah?" Steve asked, mentally filing his son's ridiculous order into his brain as he waited for his youngest to make up her mind.

"Dad, I said I wanted a club sandwich and a chocolate cake!" James whined, crossing his arms defensively as he stared up angrily at his father.

Steve sighed as he rubbed his eyes, "I know James, I heard you, I'm just waiting for your sister to make up her mind. Sarah?"

"I just want the cupcake." She decided finally as the couple in front of them got their order and walked to the side. The little blonde girl stepped up to the counter and hit the bell for service, even though the teenaged girl was already staring right at her. The teen raised her brows questioningly at the child and Sarah raised her chin proudly and ordered a rainbow cupcake with unicorn sprinkles.

"Is that everything?" The girl droned, looking from Sarah to Steve expectantly.

"Can we also get a club sandwich, a kid's sized turkey sandwich, and a double club with extra meat please," Steve responded, giving the teenager his best smile as she wrote down their order.

"And a chocolate cake!" James added loudly, and she looked up at the young blonde, then wrote that down too as Steve stared at his son with a slightly irked expression.

"Your total is forty-two seventeen." The teenaged employee droned, then her eyes caught a glimpse of the man behind Steve. "I'll put that order in real quick." She turned and darted into the back room, tapping Tessa on the shoulder before hissing loudly, "He's here! He's back!"

"Twice in one day? Now I think he's stalking me." Tessa rolled her eyes and looked at the receipt the girl had dropped off with her. "Is this all for him?"

"No, he's here with this other guy and his two kids. I gotta go ring him up now."

_Steve._

Tessa swallowed back her desire to hide and avoid the man she knew to be Captain America. She could pretend she didn't know who the Winter Soldier was, even if she'd spent more than one evening drowning her curiosities about the mysterious man in wine and the internet. Steve Rogers though? Once she saw it, Tessa could never unsee the First Avenger in her former neighbor. However, she didn't want to be rude, and if she didn't come out and say hello, she'd have to hear about it again tomorrow when Bucky would undoubtedly return for his morning coffee.

Tessa started working on the order herself, carefully stacking the club sandwich layers together and then packaging up a rainbow cupcake with unicorn sprinkles and a chocolate cake to go. After about five minutes, she knew she'd have to deliver the food soon or they'd ask, especially the kids.

"Where's my sandwich? I'm hungry." James looked between Bucky and Steve, finding his father engrossed in his phone again and Bucky staring off toward the back room, willing Tessa and their food out with his mind.

His wish came true when Tessa pushed open the door with her back, carrying a massive tray piled with food that could only belong to them. She wandered across the shop to their booth and set it down with a thud. "You guys hungry?"

"Starving!" James reached into the tray to pull out the double club sandwich which Steve snatched from his hand, placing in front of himself before serving James the single club. James side-eyed his father, then bit into the massive sandwich as Steve began shoving the extra-meat sandwich into his own mouth.

Tessa held back the urge to laugh, turning from Steve and his mini-Steve to address Barnes, "You were here four hours ago... you miss me?"

"Maybe." Bucky winked, taking a bite of his own egg salad sandwich as he watched the brunette, "I think you're warming up to me."

"Yeah, sure, I just like making money to eat, and you're quickly becoming my best customer," Tessa answered quickly as she looked over her shoulder at the line that was reaching toward the door. She was about to tell them she had to go when Bucky cut her off.

"I mean, I could help you with both of those things."

Tessa's brow piqued in interest, "Which things?"

"Food and money. I'll use _my_ money to buy _you_ food. Tomorrow. Six o'clock."

Tessa's mouth dropped open and quivered a bit as she tried to think of a clever answer, but all that came out was, "Okay?"

Bucky pulled his head back, grinning from ear to ear, "Great. I'll pick you up here."

"Yeah, okay, see you then." Tessa trailed off as she wandered off, looking over her shoulder at Bucky Barnes and his friend's family as she went back to the kitchen. Before she reached the door, she ran into the counter because she wasn't looking, quickly looking over her shoulder to see if Bucky had seen.

_I think I'm going on a date with an assassin._

Steve turned to Bucky, who looked incredibly proud of himself, "Did you just get a date?"

"Yes. About damn time."

Steve's eyes grew to saucers and quickly moved to cover James's ears before hissing, "Language!"


	46. Chapter 46

Tessa was wiping down the glass counter by the register when she heard the revving of a motorcycle outside the shop. Her dark eyes rose slowly just in time to see James Buchannan Barnes push through the revolving door into the Brewhouse, wearing dark blue jeans and a black leather jacket over his tight red shirt. He confidently walked up to the counter she was cleaning and handed her a single white rose before leaning against the glass.

"Thank you." Tessa murmured as she pushed a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. She'd been dreading this all day. Not because she didn't want to go, but because she did. Tessa was wary of getting close to people. She was wary of the lies and the danger and she wasn't completely sure that the man taking her out was mentally stable. But he was kind. And he was handsome and had been incredibly patient with Tessa over the past four years. What could one evening hurt?

As Tessa smelled the single rose, Bucky waited patiently for her to finish up work so he could sweep her away for the evening. "You almost ready?" He asked impatiently, tapping his right hand against the glass. "We have places to go."

Tessa noticed his left prosthetic hand was covered in a black leather glove that matched his jacket, but she decided not to mention it yet. Curiosity would get the best of her eventually. "Give me just a minute to change, then I'll be ready. Where are we going in such a hurry?"

"It's a surprise. I brought the bike- I hope that's okay because it's the only form of transportation I have." Bucky leaned away from the counter and wandered over to a nearby table so Tessa's employee could help the customers that waited behind him. Tessa looked up from where she was cleaning to answer his inquiry.

"I brought jeans and a nice shirt. You gave me no details except that you'd be picking me up. So if your plan involves a dress code you might want to find another date."

"Naw, it's nowhere fancy. I don't fit into fancy establishments. A little too... rough around the edges." Bucky admitted but Tessa didn't exactly agree. With his gelled back long hair and clean-shaven face, he looked like a work of art, someone who belonged in a museum and not in her coffee shop.

"I'll be right back..." Tessa backed into the back room, grabbing her green backpack and heading toward the staff bathroom. She locked herself in the handicap stall and took a deep breath as she worked on fixing her hair into a side ponytail out of her face before changing into her jeans and a sky blue button-up blouse. She reapplied her deep red lipstick and popped a mint into her mouth as she hiked up her boobs to sit up higher in her scoop neck top. Tessa turned sideways, smoothing down the blouse as she looked at her side profile, "That'll do."

Tess looked at her watch and realized she'd been gone for almost ten minutes. She scrambled out of the bathroom, shoving her apron onto a hook near the door of the back office and made her way back out into the shop. Bucky's eyes lit up when he saw her, giving her a quick once over before clearing his throat, "I was starting to think you'd snuck out the back door."

"No, sorry, you're stuck with me. Unless you want to just take me home?" Tessa teased, then paled when she realized the connotation of her words. "I mean, if you've changed your mind..."

"Let me take you out. Please... I'll make sure you won't regret it, and if you want to end it at any point, just let me know." Bucky offered his right arm to Tessa and she took it tentatively, holding on as he led her out of the shop. Bucky led her to his motorcycle, then slung his leg over it, and turned to his date, "Hop on, hold on tight."

Tessa swung her leg over the bike with ease, telling Bucky it wasn't her first time on a motorcycle. She wrapped her arms around him instinctively, and he felt his stomach flip when her small hands found the thin fabric of his shirt covering his torso. Tessa was thankful he couldn't see how red she was turning when her fingers latched themselves onto his toned abs.

"You ready?"

"Go for it," Tessa answered, tightening her thighs against his as he took off at top speed away from the Brewhouse toward the highway.

Tessa was vaguely aware of the town racing by her as she pressed her face against Bucky's back, focusing on the way she could feel his chest rising and falling as he swerved around the cars to his destination. After a while, he slowed to a stop and Tessa pushed her face away begrudgingly, trying to compose herself before he was able to look her in the eye again. He peeked over his shoulder, seeing her out of the corner of his eye as she fixed her hair.

"We're here."

Tessa swung off the bike first and started walking toward the little Italian restaurant while Bucky put the kickstand down. She took in the brick exterior and string lights illuminating the sign of the family-owned pizzeria. "I've never been here before." She said quietly as Bucky came up behind her and put his arm around her shoulder. She was at least six inches shorter than him, but she somehow fit into his side like she belonged there, and that terrified her. Tessa panicked and turned her body around, facing Bucky but pulling out of his grip, "So how did you find this place?"

"I googled restaurants in the area. Neither Steve nor I had heard of it, so I figured it wasn't a chain. I've never been before, but Italian food is good. I'm taking a leap of faith."

"Yeah. A leap of faith." Tessa mumbled in response, mostly to herself. There was that feeling again, in the pit of her stomach- it told her she wasn't ready for this. She wasn't ready to be vulnerable again. The worst part for Tessa was that Bucky intrigued her. He wasn't like all the other men who wined and dined the would-be-widow. He held the answers to all her questions, and above that, he was an enigma. A man out of time.

Bucky didn't try to hold Tessa again, instead holding the door to the restaurant open for her to walk through before passing her and taking the lead at the hostess stand, "Barnes, party of two. We're a little late."

The older woman at the podium smirked at his admission, looking from the pair to the mostly empty restaurant behind her, "I think we'll manage." She grabbed two menus and led them to a small table near the back of the restaurant. Secluded and near the kitchen, it made Tessa sigh knowing they'd more or less be alone.

Bucky held out her chair for her, and gently pushed her toward the table before taking a seat across from her, "I asked on the phone if we could have a more private table. I'd assumed if we spoke of anything more than the weather you'd have questions that people shouldn't hear the answers to." He quickly closed his mouth and offered a meek smile to the waiter as he poured them each a glass of water and took their drink orders after rattling off the evening's specials. Once he was gone, Bucky turned his attention back to the brunette across from him. He rubbed the back of his neck, shifted his long gelled hair as he ran through variations of what he wanted to admit in his head. "I, uh, haven't been on a date since 1943. I haven't spent time around people who aren't superheroes. I'm not sure how to do this, but I've wanted to ask you out for quite some time."

Tessa's heart fluttered at his words and she swallowed her nerves, grabbing onto her water to take a long drink before setting it down and forcing out her own confession, "I've been on lots of dates in the past four years, and they've all been kind of terrible. I don't trust anybody anymore. So, I'm trying to open up, but I'm scared." Bucky's face fell at her words.

"Of me?"

"No," Tessa quickly answered, shaking her hand aggressively to dismiss his ideas, "I'm scared of letting you in. Because I think I know in the back of my mind that you might take good care of me. And that I might fall for you. And that scares me. A lot." She instinctively reached across and grabbed his hand with her right, freezing in place when she realized he was still wearing his leather glove. She stared at the glove for a minute, then looked up to meet his steely blue eyes. He looked nervous, waiting for her to panic and realize maybe she was scared of him after all. Tessa was determined not to prove him right. In a move that surprised them both, she tightened her grip around the glove and discovered it felt cool and smooth underneath. He had his metal arm on.

"I..." Bucky trailed off, turning his left arm incredibly gently to allow him to hold the hand she had clenched around his, "I can feel things. With the vibranium arm. It's from Wakanda. Very advanced. I can't feel anything with the prosthetic, it was cheap and gets the job done around the kids."

"Can I see it?" Tessa whispered. Her chocolate eyes darted from his face to his hand, then back to his bewildered expression. He wasn't sure if she was actually requesting to have him take off the glove or if she was just talking to herself. Tessa tilted her head to the side, trying to figure out what was running through the Winter Solder's brain. "You okay? You can say no. I'm not offended."

Bucky processed her words and grinned a little, trying to hide it as he pulled his arm away from her to gently tug off the metal glove. His leather jacket covered the full arm, but he presented his dark metal hand. It was made up of dark plates that molded together with occasional gold. Tessa had seen it occasionally, but he hid it well and hid it often. The dark, scared part of Tessa told her to recoil from it, but she was stubborn. She wasn't going to let him see her fold.

Tessa grabbed his metal hand and held it tightly, staring at it for a moment before meeting his eyes. He was completely locked on her face, taking in every move of her eyes and brows and mouth. "I'm not scared of it." Tessa declared, giving him a tight squeeze before adding, "I'm not afraid of you."

"Well, that's a first." Bucky chuckled, relaxing his body against the chair as he let her hold his hand casually. "Most women steer clear of the most feared assassin in America."

"Don't ruin it." Tessa deadpanned before laughing at the way Bucky's back tensed at her words, "I'm kidding, but seriously, maybe let's save the dark secrets for the main course, then round out the evening with some heartfelt confessions for dessert." Tessa released Bucky's hand and his heart sunk. He wanted to touch her again.

Tessa looked up from under her dark lashes at Bucky as she picked up the menu, beginning to peruse the options for food. She occasionally looked up over the menu to see him reading diligently. Tessa found his eyes the most captivating. They told stories of a life he hadn't chosen. She wanted to read them like a book.

A short snicker escaped Bucky's throat and caught Tessa by surprise, causing her to quickly avert her eyes to the menu, keeping him out of her line of sight as she asked, "What?"

"That's the look Kayla always gets when she looks at Steve."

Tessa's cheeked heat up and she fought back the urge to smile, running her finger down the list of items on the menu. "That's an insult. I don't even know if their love is real. Is that a lie too?"

"No." Bucky answered softly, "I've never seen two people more in love. It's infuriating sometimes. That punk doesn't deserve her. Although Kayla's quite a handful so I think they've evened out over the years."

Tessa nodded mindlessly, setting the menu down to get a better view of the man in front of her. "How long have you known Steve?"

"Since 1930."

Tessa's breath was snatched from her chest, but she wasn't able to respond because the waiter arrived to take their order. Once he was gone again, Tessa raised her finger in the air, telling Bucky she needed a minute to collect her thoughts before she continued. "When were you born?"

Bucky chuckled, taking a drink of his water before answering, "1917. Brooklyn. Lived there with Mom and Pops and two little sisters. I was one of the lucky ones- Dad came home from the first war." Bucky took another drink before adding, "Although I was also one of the unlucky ones because I didn't make it home from the second."

"That's... a lot to process," Tessa admitted, rubbing her right hand along her temple.

"Well, let's talk about something that's a little easier. When were you born?"

"1999. I'm thirty-two. I'll be thirty-three next March. I'm not... what? One hundred and fourteen years old?" Tessa counted in her head, leaning her jaw against her hand as she gawked at Barnes, "I mean, I knew... I just never really considered... Are you going to be young forever?"

"Who the hell knows?" Bucky responded with a shrug as the waiter appeared with their food. He watched Tessa silently as the man sat down their pasta in front of them while she thanked him sweetly before she turned back to him, eyes laser-focused and curious. Bucky smiled coyly, "I age slowly. Slower when I was in cryo all the time." At Tessa's piqued brow he continued, "I was put on ice. Like Steve was frozen in the arctic for seventy years, I would go in and out of a cryo-chamber between missions."

Tessa nodded, looking down as she stabbed her pasta with her fork, then twirled it. "I googled you."

"Sounds dangerous."

"So do you." She quipped back, looking up at him as she took a bite. She watched him sit stoically for a moment. "Your whole life, everything they think you did, it's out there for everyone to see. Everyone knows you died a hero and came back a monster. They know that _you _are the Winter Soldier. What is that like for you?"

Bucky shrugged a little, trying to push away the memories that tried to flood back into his mind. He remembered everything, even if he worked hard to block it away, "I spent a lot of time healing. I spent a lot of time... coming to terms with what I did while somebody else controlled my mind. But I'm still just a guy from Brooklyn who got drafted into a war. Got saved by my best friend. I died protecting him in return. I'm trying to pick up where I was before that train. Everything in between doesn't matter."

Tessa nodded, taking another bite of pasta and swallowing, "Alright."

"Alright?"

"If it doesn't matter, then we don't talk about it." She looked up and gave Bucky a firm nod, telling him the conversation was done, and his past was behind him. It was a much better reaction than he'd expected. Better than he'd hoped.

But there was one thing that couldn't be ignored forever. There was one mission they'd have to address eventually because there was a very important reason she was here on this date with him and not married to somebody else. "What about Ryan?"

"He tried to kill me. He probably killed a lot of people before he tried to kill Steve. Whether you showed up that night or not, I would have died. If it wasn't for you and Kat- Kayla, I would have dropped from cyanide poisoning. You saved my life, James Barnes. I'm thankful for you." Tessa declared slowly reaching out and grabbing his right hand this time, holding it tightly, "I know I haven't exactly been friendly to you, but I forgive you for what you did. I really do. I'm... trying to make peace?" She suggested with a giggle, "And I'm enjoying myself."

"Me too." Bucky answered quietly, stroking her knuckles with his thumb, "I'd like to take you out again."

"The first date isn't even over!" Tessa laughed as Bucky took a huge bite of his chicken, inhaling half of it in one swallow. She shook her head, settling into a comfortable grin as she kept her grip on his hand, "You are fascinating."

"And you are beautiful. So I'd like to take you out again."

"Ask me when this date is over."

_**Author's Notes: Precious Bucky and Tessa. I love them almost as much as Steve and Kayla. Almost ;)**_

_**amberhardy- **welcome back! I've missed hearing from you! Yeah, Ryan was kind of the worst, but to be honest, he was doomed from the beginning! I definitely want to write more domestic Steve and Kay! They've got a few things to do, but I'm really going to show their domestic sides in part 6! And I'm glad you like this Steve. I must say I'm also a fan lol. _

**_Siobhan-_**_ Tessa and Bucky are the new OTP of this story, but it won't necessarily go smoothly, especially with Kayla and Natasha together on the West Coast..._

**_Nikkita Starr-_**_ James is annoying and precious and he's my husband's favorite lolol. _


	47. Chapter 47

After dinner, Bucky pulled off his leather jacket and handed it to Tessa, "It'll be cold on the bike." She took it and slid her arms through the sleeves, which came past her hands. The jacket itself covered her butt it was so big, and she giggled as she mounted the bike behind Bucky, clasping her hands together as she clenched her thighs against his. Without his jacket, she could feel his back muscles against her chest, and it made her stomach do backflips and clench her legs a little tighter around him as he took off into the night.

_He's different than I thought he'd be. Gentler, sweeter, chivalrous. Everything Ryan wasn't. What have I gotten myself into?_

Bucky finally pulled the motorcycle off to the side of the road and Tessa leaned away from him, getting a view of her surroundings. He'd stopped by the park down the street from her shop. "I didn't want to drop you off yet. I hope this is okay?" He asked as she got off the bike and waited for him to join her.

"Yeah, this is fine." She answered, reaching out her right hand to take his left one. She could see most of his arm now without the jacket, and to her own surprise, she wasn't afraid. Tess had learned from Kayla Ellis that appearances can be deceiving, and peeling back the layers of James Buchannan Barnes was becoming more and more worth it in her eyes.

"What are your dreams, Tessa Davis?" Bucky asked suddenly, stopping and yanking her toward him with ease. She bumped against his chest as his hands settled on either side of her waist. She noticed how high he held her, keeping his hands a respectable distance away from her ass. A real gentleman. "If you could do or have anything, anything at all, what would you want?"

Tessa's eyes focused on Bucky's strong chest for a moment, the sleeves of his leather jacket pooling around her wrists as she felt him beneath her, "Anything?"

"Anything."

"I guess I'd travel. I'd see all the wonderful places I've heard about. I'd have adventures. I'd meet interesting people. Having a near-death experience makes a person reevaluate what they've done in life. I... haven't made the most of my time yet. Since the incident. I'd like to make my days count, you know?"

Bucky raised his hands slightly to press against the small of her back, pulling her closer to him as she looked up at his blue eyes. "Would you let me join you?"

The corner of Tessa's mouth twitched anxiously, anticipating her action before her brain did. She reached up on her tip toes and pressed her lips against his gently. "Maybe." She breathed as she pulled away, "It's a little early to make such plans, isn't it?"

Bucky took a chance and bent down to her, kissing her a little more firmly than she had, "I told you, I don't know if I'll be young forever. I sure as hell won't live forever so I don't have time to waste."

Tessa breathed in the scent of his breath as her heart quickened, trying to keep up with her racing mind.

_No. No, I can't commit to this. I don't know all the variables. I don't know if this is safe or right or good..._

"Oh, what the hell." Tessa grabbed onto the back of his neck and crashed her lips into Bucky's desperately, plunging her tongue into his mouth as he breathed her in. He quickly moved his hands to her butt and heaved her up so her face was at eye level with his, making their kisses just a little easier. She wrapped her legs around him and he felt her tighten around his torso as she grabbed strands of long hair in her fingers. She tugged back at his head, allowing herself a deep breath before he pulled her lips back to his.

Bucky carried Tessa further into the park and carefully sat them down on the grass. He slowly crawled over her, dipping his head down low to kiss her slowly. She cupped his face with one hand and held the edge of his jacket she wore in the other. As he pulled away she gasped before asking breathlessly, "Do you have protection?"

"What?" Bucky's husky voice sent chills down Tessa's spine as she arched her knee around him. He lowered his body just a little, so he was pressed against her but not crushing her. He used only his left arm to support his weight while his real hand ran through her tangled brown hair.

Tessa pulled away slightly, her eyes darting to the side as her mouth stayed slack, "This is too fast. We can't- we can't here. We can't _now."_

"Can't what?" Bucky breathed against her ear before kissing along her cheek to her neck. "You're thinking too much."

"We can't have sex right now!" Tessa yelped, pushing herself onto her knees and smashing her head into Bucky's. "Ouch, fuck! Damn it!" She cursed as Bucky backed off of her and she settled onto her ass. He looked a little hurt but unfazed by getting his head bashed in. Tessa sighed, "I'm sorry, we just can't yet."

"Oh." Bucky said in surprise, finally catching on to Tessa's change of pace, "I wasn't planning on having sex with you, doll. I was just enjoying the moment."

"Oh." Tessa repeated, suddenly feeling very sheepish for assuming all he wanted was to fuck her. "My bad."

Bucky eased himself onto his butt as he watched Tessa run her fingers through her tangled hair. He wanted to kiss her again, but clearly, he'd overwhelmed her. "It's getting late."

"We don't have to leave yet. I didn't mean to kill the mood. I just panicked. I haven't slept with anybody since Ryan."

"And I didn't plan on making love to you in this public park. What kind of a gentleman would I be if I didn't earn it?"

Tessa's jaw couldn't seem to find it's closed position after his words, just like her heart couldn't seem to find its normal pace. "I'd like a second date. And a third. And another dozen after that. I'd like to be exclusive. I'd like you to court me. All those words that mean I don't want you to kiss anyone else like that."

"Okay, Kayla." Bucky teased under his breath, but Tessa narrowed her eyes and scowled at him. "Yes, ma'am. I'm all yours."

"Good. This night did not go as planned at all." Tessa sighed, shaking her head back and forth in disbelief, "I did not expect to fall for you."

"Speak for yourself," Bucky answered, moving to sit beside Tessa. He laid on the grass, staring at the stars. She watched him for a moment before joining him, finding her place in the crook of his arm.

They laid like that for a while until Bucky's phone began buzzing wildly in his pants pocket. He reached in with his metal arm and pulled it out, answering without looking at who it was. "Hello?"

"Barnes, we need you home ASAP."

"I'm a little busy right now, Sam." Bucky droned as Tessa drew lines across his stomach with her finger.

"Whatever it is, this is more important." Sam bit back, catching Bucky's attention. "We've got word that Hydra is planning something big. They are calling everyone in via their secure channels. They are converging in Seattle. Schmidt is gonna be there."

"That is important," Bucky grunted, and Tessa turned her body to see Bucky's face. She mouthed 'who is it?' and he covered the mouthpiece to answer, "Captain America."

"Oh, Steve?" She clarifies, not understanding what could be so important that Steve had to interrupt their date.

"No," Bucky answered loudly, "Sam."

Tessa's eyes widened and she sat up, looking down at the man. He was being called in. "What is it?"

"Is that a woman with you Barnes?" Sam chortled on the other end, "I wasn't expecting that."

"Can I come back tomorrow?" Bucky sighed, rubbing his eyes with his fingers.

"Too late, I've already got the quintet locked on your location. Extraction is imminent."

Bucky groaned loudly, turning to look at Tessa, "Great. Awesome. See you soon." He hung up the phone and sat up, taking Tessa's hand in his own. "I'm sorry, I have to go. Let me at least walk you back to the shop before they get here."

"I'll be fine." She assured him, watching him carefully for a few moments before adding, "Are you going to be okay?"

"One date and you're already worried about me?" Bucky teased and she smacked him hard against the shoulder. His smile was sad as he pushed himself to his feet, then offered his left hand to pull Tessa up, "I'm sorry. Duty calls. I guess they think they need me."

"You can call me when you get back?"

Bucky twisted his mouth uncomfortably, trying to figure out how to tell Tessa that he may not be back for a very long time, "It's... not that simple. I'll be back as soon as I can, but I can't let the others get suspicious about where I'm going. Sam's the only one who knows about Steve and Kayla being alive."

"Oh." Tessa said softly, shoving her hands into the pockets of Bucky's big jacket, "I guess, call me whenever you can?"

"I will. I promise." Bucky pressed a quick kiss to Tessa's lips as the wind picked up substantially. Tessa looked up nervously, but Bucky just slung his arm around her shoulders, holding her close as the quinjet landed nearby. Without turning to Tessa, he asked, "Are you sure I can't walk you back?"

"I'm sure. It seems they need you more than I do right now." She muttered honestly. There wasn't a hint of bitterness in her voice, but perhaps a little bit of wonder as the back of the quinjet opened up and two young women came trotting out.

"Barnes, you ready to go?" The first woman asked cooly. She wore a purple suit with cutouts on her shoulders, and a bow attached to her slim back. Her jet black hair was held back by a matching purple headband behind her choppy bangs. She stared at Bucky and Tessa behind purple-tinted sunglasses, even in the black of night.

Bucky nodded as he squeezed Tessa close to his side once more, "Yeah, I'm ready."

"It's all hands on deck Bucky. We appreciate you coming in." The second woman added sweetly. She was shorter than her coworker and had a sweet smile as she addressed the pair. She pulled her thick brown fishtail braid over the shoulder of her black and red suit, shifting awkwardly as the other woman stared at Barnes impatiently. Tessa blinked rapidly when she noticed the woman seemed to shrink ever so slightly, appearing smaller than she had before.

"This is a lot." Tessa admitted sheepishly as she turned to Bucky. "Be safe okay. I'd kind of like to see where this goes."

Bucky kissed her one last time, lingering as long as he dared. He followed the two women into the jet before the back closed and rose into the sky, taking Bucky Barnes away from his date, who stood in the wind clenching onto his leather jacket around her shoulders.

* * *

"So the Winter Soldier has a girlfriend? I wasn't expecting that."

Bucky looked up as Sam entered the room wearing his Captain America pants with a grey undershirt. Barnes leaned back in the leather chair he'd found himself in at the long conference table. He thoughtlessly tapped his fingers along his metal arm, remembering how Tessa didn't pull away from it.

"The Winter Soldier doesn't." Bucky murmured as he stared at the table. The smallest, proudest smile crept across his face, causing his eyes to crinkle with happiness, "James Barnes does."

"She's cute too! Super short." The brunette who had retrieved him giggled, plopping down beside Bucky with a toothy grin aimed toward Sam.

"That's real cute coming from you Cass, seeing as being small is the reason you're even allowed here." Kate Bishop snapped teasingly as she pulled her purple glasses up over her headband to focus on the meeting that was about to take place at Avengers HQ.

"Screw you Hawkeye." Cassie Lang grumbled as she crossed her arms and leaned back, ignoring her friend's gaze.

"Alright Avengers, listen up. We have a lot to go over and not a lot of time. We've been intercepting coded messages from Hydra. They are planning something. Something big. Our inside source says Schmidt is going to be there." Sam explained, pulling up a hologram of Johann Schmidt above the conference table. "This is the first lead we've had on Schmidt in years. We have to bring our A-game. We take down Schmidt, the regime will fall."

"And how exactly do you plan to take down the Red Skull?" Doctor Banner asked as he leaned against the glass wall of the conference room. "Not only is he a super soldier, but he has the power of the Soul Stone."

"That's where our inside source comes in. She gets close- she pulls the trigger. We are just there to make sure his plans don't come to fruition. With this many Hydra agents convening, he's planning something big." Sam continues, meeting Bruce's sad eyes. Professor Hulk missed his teammate. He'd considered working out a way to remove the Hulk before she went missing.

Bucky nodded, staring down at his vibranium hand, "When do we leave?"

"The Hydra convention seems to be Friday in Seattle. We'll leave here Wednesday evening to prepare."

Bucky looked up Sam with dark, frustrated blue eyes, "Wednesday? I could have finished my date if I'd have known we were leaving Wednesday!"

Sam's eyes roamed the room before settling back in Barnes, "We'll talk about that after the meeting. For now, we plan."

Bucky's mind couldn't focus on the plan, because it was back in suburbia with his best friend and the girl he prayed he'd see again.


	48. Chapter 48

"Daddy, when's Mom coming home?" Sarah asked at the breakfast table on Tuesday morning. She twirled her spoon around in her cereal as she rested her cheek against her fist. "I miss Mom."

"I miss her too. She'll be back soon. Another week or so." Steve admitted, rubbing Sarah's back comfortingly as James sat on his other side, inhaling his breakfast at the speed of light. "Hey, slow down Kiddo, you're gonna get sick."

"Is Mom going to be okay?" Sarah asked, pulling her father's attention away from her brother. She lifted her head, meeting her father's blue eyes with her own matching set. "You seem worried."

"I'm not worried." Steve lied terribly as he smiled down at his little girl, "She's away on business. She's probably bored... missing you two."

"What does Mom do for a living? Does she build things like you?" James asked as she swallowed the last bit of his cereal.

"She, uh, she works to make sure people are safe. Security business." Steve explained to his son. The boy nodded, seeming to understand as he reached across the table to try and grab his sister's bowl. Steve grabbed his wrist, turning his head to stare at the boy, "That's not yours."

"I'm still hungry," James mumbled as he leaned back into the chair, crossing his arms. "Mom would give me more food."

"No, she wouldn't. Mom doesn't want you to be chubby." Sarah taunted, her sly smile causing James to snarl back at her.

"At least they don't have to worry about me getting sick and _dying._"

"That's enough!" Steve yelled at them both, causing both children to cower in their seats. "Go get your shoes on." He simmered, looking from James to Sarah, "We need to leave for school."

Sarah's lower lip quivered as she fought back tears, terrified of the fire in her father's normally soft eyes. "I'm sorry Daddy." She whimpered as she slid off her chair, scurrying up the stairs to her room to get her tennis shoes.

With Sarah gone, Steve turned to James, who sat with his head down, ashamed of what he'd said, "I'm sorry Dad, I-"

"Don't ever talk about your sister like that again," Steve warned under his breath, his eyes unable to fully meet James's. "You don't understand what it's like for her. Maybe it would do you some good."

James didn't understand what his father meant, but he didn't want to find out, so he quickly sprinted up the stairs to get ready for school, leaving Steve with his head in his palm, feeling the sting of tears and the weight of his part in his daughter's sickness.

* * *

Natasha led Kayla through the back alleys of San Fransisco to where the Hydra group was meeting. Natasha was disguised as the chubby blonde and Kayla wore a face-framing bob around her angular face. Her southern drawl hid any trace of her voice as she muttered to herself, playing with her wedding ring on Steve's dog tags anxiously. "I don't know if I'm ready for this."

"Just stand by me and don't say anything unless you are spoken to. You're a sharpshooter. You want in. We just have to smooth out the details so we both get on that plane Friday morning." Natasha growled as she opened a back door to a restaurant. "Eyes up. Stay sharp. We're in the viper's nest now."

Kayla's eyes shifted around as she followed Natasha into the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant. Kayla could feel her heart pounding, knowing one wrong move could be the end of her. Even a super-soldier can bleed, and she was in too deep. Natasha was confident. Kayla was scared. But her friend needed her, so here she was.

"What's your business?" A massive, gruff man with square shoulders asked through a thick beard. He guarded another door and crossed his arms as the women approached.

Natasha smiled sweetly beneath her mask, forcing nervousness into her normally confident voice, "We're here to see Mac."

"Is he expecting you two?"

"He should be. He said he'd be in for dinner around five. Lots of errands to run by the bay today." Natasha explained nonchalantly as Kayla tapped her heel nervously against the cracking floor of the restaurant.

The guard grunted and moved to the side, gesturing toward the door with his thumb, "Make it snappy. The boss is in a mood today."

Nat led Kayla through the door toward a staircase. They descended into the darkness before arriving in a damp, dark meeting space with several men and women sitting around a poker table, sipping whiskey. One of the men looked up and grinned as the women walked in the door, "Look what the cat dragged in. Miss Jacobs. I see you brought a friend?"

"Samantha Turner," Kayla answered quietly with her heavy drawl.

"And what do you bring to the table, Turner?" The man at the front of the room asked menacingly. Kayla's eyes narrowed in on him, then slid down to the table, seeing a gun in the center of the table. Kayla lunged toward the gun and raised it confidently, hitting the bullseye of the dartboard with ease. She sat the gun back down and stared at the man who'd questioned her. He nodded approvingly, "I see. Welcome to the team."

"I'd like to bring her to Seattle. Samantha is good at what she does. We could use her." Natasha informed the group, and they looked between the two women expectantly. Natasha groaned and added, "I'm not in the best of shape to fight off any attackers right now. You know I'm just a computer nerd."

"Fine. Flight leaves at five AM on Friday. Pack light. Expect a fight. Schmidt's having us send the invite out over unsecured channels. He's hoping the Avengers will be there." The man Kayla understood to be Mac directed, then waved his hands away, telling the women to leave. Nat pulled Kayla's arm, leading her away from the table back toward the stairs.

The women were silent as they walked, neither having anything to say about the situation. Once they were several blocks away from the restaurant, Natasha finally spoke under her breath, "This is it. We're going to kill Schmidt."

"You're going to kill Schmidt. I can't get anywhere near that monster." Kayla murmured as she stared at the ground. "I'm terrified. I wish it was Steve instead of me, I should be home with the kids... I'm too old for this Nat."

Natasha stopped and grabbed Kayla's arms, squeezing them comfortingly, "Listen listen... one last mission, okay?"

"I've heard that before," Kayla grumbled, gnawing her teeth as she rolled her eyes "This is it Nat. No more. Not after this. And you too-"

"Deal. This is it. With Schmidt gone, you and Steve can come into the light. Your parents can spend time with your kids. I can get to know them..." Natasha trailed off. She turned away from Kayla and continued walking down the street, "We're going to fix this. Kay. It's almost over."

* * *

Natasha and Kayla's plane landed at seven am on Friday morning, and they met up with other members of Natasha's Hydra faction before being swept away to a hotel in downtown Seattle. Kayla's angular jaw was tight as she followed the group into the hotel's convention space.

A tall blonde man addressed the group as they filed in, motioning for the massive doors to be closed behind them. "Good morning everyone. Thank you for coming. I know some of you have come very far for this. The Red Skull will be in attendance this evening. Get settled. Get prepared. It should be quite a show."

Kayla and Natasha shared a nervous glance as everyone was allowed to file out of the room. Was all of this just for the Avengers?

"Just heard from the inside. They know we're coming." Sam warned the team as they packed up their suits and weapons into the quinjet. They'd been setting up shop several hours away in Washington, biding their time until they were ready to move over to Seattle. "There's a chance this whole thing is just for us. We have to bring our A-game."

"We will." Kate Bishop said confidently as she set down two quivers full of arrows in the jet. Cassie came jogging into the jet in her Stature uniform, ready to go when Sam made the call. Peter Parker walked confidently toward the jet with MJ on his arm to see him off.

"I'll be back before you know it," Peter assured his wife, kneeling down to press a kiss to her rounded stomach. "You two be safe while I'm gone."

Michelle pushed back her dark curly hair, crunching her eyes at her man knowingly, "You think we are the ones who'll be in danger? I think Spiderman is the one who needs to be worried about." She pressed a loving kiss to Peter's lips, "I'll be here when you return." They shared their goodbyes and Peter looked over his slim shoulder back at the woman. The only ones left were Bucky and Sam.

Sam approached his partner, watching him expectantly, "Something on your mind Barnes?"

"Kayla called Steve to tell him she'd be gone a few more weeks. Is she with Nat?"

Sam looked startled at this revelation, answering Bucky's question without words. "She hasn't said anything about Kay. But if she's not with Steve, where else would she be?"

"I need to get a hold of Steve before we go-"

"We don't have time for that, Buck. We've got to go now." Sam motioned toward the jet with his shield. "We have to go. Text him in the air." Sam turned and took his place in the pilot's seat, setting his shield to his left as he prepared to take them into the air. Bucky followed him begrudgingly, pulling out his cell to send a message to his best friend.

_The Avengers are being dispatched to Seattle. Schmidt knows we're coming. Nat's there. Kayla might be too._

Steve got the text while he was at work. He was sitting at his desk in the construction office working on permits when his phone rang, stealing his mind away from work. His girl was in danger, and there was nothing he could do but sit and dwell and worry. He imagined it was what Kayla felt sitting in Wakanda, praying he'd make it home alive.

But Kayla was only supposed to make deliveries to Natasha. She wasn't supposed to help the assassin infiltrate Hydra. She was supposed to drop off her serum and come home to her family. If anything happened to her- Steve would never forgive himself. He jumped up from his chair and grabbed his light jacket, holding it as he sprinted out of the office to his truck. He threw the truck into drive and sped toward the Brewhouse. "Call Tony." He snapped at the truck, and nothing happened so he yelled louder, "Call Tony Stark dammit!"

"Yes, Sir," Friday replied sheepishly, getting Tony on the line for Steve.

"What's up, Cap?" Tony asked casually as his face appeared on the windshield.

"Stark, have you had any contact with Romanoff this week?"

"No, why? Is everything alright?" Tony asked as his brow began to furrow, realizing something was happening. The super soldier was panting and driving like a maniac, "Rogers what's wrong?"

"Kayla's still with Natasha." He gasped out, pulling into a parking spot across from the shop, "Kay's with Nat and the Avengers are being sent out there. I think it's a trap for the team. Do you have the equipment to run the operation from your cabin?"

Tony rubbed his face harshly, "Yeah, your wife has a necklace, a black choker, it has a microscopic camera inside. It can pick up audio and video. If she wears one of the mini-comms I sent with Romanoff you can talk in her ear. You just have to get her to wear them."

Steve nodded fiercely as he turned off his truck, "Thank you, Tony." He jumped out of the cab and took off sprinting toward the Brewhouse, pushing through the revolving door with too much strength, causing one of the hinges to crack. Once inside, he looked up to see Tessa behind the counter, her jaw hung open as she stared at him. He came running toward the counter, politely pushing his way past all the customers until he stood in front of the owner, "I'm sorry- I'm sorry, I'll pay for that... but I need you. I need your help, Tess, please..."

"Steve, what's wrong?" Tessa asked calmly, waving over one of her employees to take over while she pulled the blonde man aside. Once away from the crowd, she studied him a little closer, seeing how tight his jaw was and how worried his eyes looked. "Steve?"

He swallowed hard, trying to figure out how to admit his greatest fear, "Kayla's in danger. I need help with the kids. Can you pick them up from school? I'll send you the address... I have nobody else, Tess."

"Is... is that where Bucky's gone?" Tessa whispered to Steve, then shook her head violently, "No- yes. Yes, I'll help, go, text me. You still have my number?"

"Yes!" Steve yelled as he took off running, jumping over a table that was in his path. Tessa watched with wide eyes as he easily cleared it, pushing the already broken door so hard the glass shattered as he took off back toward his pickup truck.

Once back in the cab, Steve took off toward Tony's cabin, "Friday- call Kayla's cell phone, please." Steve requested as he sped through a yellow light, merging onto the highway toward the lake.

"Hello?"

"Kay! Kay, tell me you aren't in Seattle-"

"Steve." Kayla interrupted in a hushed voice as she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror in the hotel restaurant, "Steve, I can't do this now."

"I'm worried about you. Did Natasha tell you the Avengers are coming?"

"Steve. Baby, I'm fine. Everything is fine. I promise... please stop worrying." Kayla sighed into the phone as she held it closer to her face when the bathroom door opened. "I have to go."

"Wear the choker. The one Stark made with the camera. Please. I'm on my way to Tony's. I'll help you. I'll look out for you." Steve pleaded, slowing down just a little when he saw a police cruiser in the distance.

Kayla gave a courteous smile to another woman who walked by before answering her husband, "Sure honey. I'll wear it just for you. I know how you like it."

"I love you, Kay. So much. Please be careful."

"I love you too, darling. See you later. Bye."

As Kayla hung up, Steve's mind was racing. He hoped Natasha knew what she was doing.

"You okay Sam?" Nat asked through clenched teeth when Kayla arrived back at their table, sitting down and smiling at their fellow Hydra agents. Natasha sent the woman a dirty look, telling her she'd been gone too long.

"Oh, I'm fine!" Kayla explained in her thick Southern drawl, "I just had to, uh, deal... with some stuff. Lady stuff, you know?"

The men at the table hummed awkwardly, looking away from the women as they shared a knowing, frustrated glance. Kayla shrugged stiffly, baring her teeth in a grimace.

"So what time are we all convening this evening? I'd love to powder my nose, change the old outfit. You know, be prepared to meet the big boss." Kayla drawled toward the men as she rested her chin on her hand. She bat her thick eyelashes and puckered her lips, leaning into her Southern Belle persona with everything she had.

"Six o'clock in the main ballroom. Dress... functional black tie." One of the men snickered, taking a drink of his bourbon. "You're a pretty little thing. I'd love to see how you clean up."

"Thanks." Kayla cooed, winking at the man before side-eyeing Natasha, seeing the Black Widow wasn't laughing beneath her mask. Kayla grinned up at the waiter as he delivered their food, "Let's eat. I'm starving."


	49. Chapter 49

The elementary school bell rang at three o'clock sharp, allowing all the children to escape through the front doors. Sarah and James came scurrying down the stairs with their backpacks in tow, looking around for their father. Sarah looked nervously to James as she gave his blue jacket tug, "Where's Dad?"

"Sarah! James!" The two kids looked toward the parking lot and noticed Tessa waving wildly by her little blue car. She approached the kids tentatively, waving gently as she got closer, "I'm picking you guys up from school today. We're going to meet your father."

"Is everything okay?" James asked worriedly, taking note of how anxious the brunette looked.

"Yes. Of course, your dad just had to take off a little early. We're meeting him out at the lake. At your Uncle Tony's place." Tessa explained, offering the children a hopeful smile. "Come on, let's go."

Sarah and James looked to each other before James nodded, leading his sister behind Tessa to her car. They waved at Richard the security guard as they followed the strange woman. "See you later!"

"Where are your parents?" Richard asked, then directed his question to Tessa, "Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of the Ro- Carters. Steve asked me to pick up James and Sarah after school today." Tessa stuttered, but Richard wasn't impressed. She sighed, "I can call him if you'd like. Steve will tell you."

"Yes, please do, I can't just let children go off with strangers. Mr. Carter knows that... Mrs. Carter would know that." Richard corrected, one hand on his radio, prepared to make a call if need be.

Tessa groaned loudly and pulled out her cell phone, dialing the number that Steve had texted her from. "Steve, I'm sorry, I know this is a bad time, but this fool doesn't believe I'm supposed to be picking up your kids." Tessa thrust the phone into Richard's hand and he began listening to Steve tell him off on the other end.

After a couple of moments, he winced and handed the phone back to Tessa, "Go ahead. Just, have them call the school next time you're coming to pick them up, okay?"

"Can do, let's go kids. Dad's waiting." Tessa herded the kids into her car and ran around to the driver's seat, pulling her seatbelt across her before looking over her shoulder, "You guys ready?"

"Sure?" Sarah shrugged, not understanding why Tessa was being so dramatic about taking them to Uncle Tony's house.

Tessa gave a firm nod, then threw the car into reverse, "Alright, let's go."

* * *

Kayla changed into a sleek black dress that matched her choker. She pulled on thigh-high leather boots and slid a knife into the inside. She secured her phone into her cleavage, pulling up the front of her halter top dress. She replaced her black wig and swiped on dark plum lipstick before securing the photostatic veil over her face.

She sat on her bed, pulling the black choker Steve asked her to wear out of her briefcase. Even on weekend missions, she always took the band, because she knew Tony had a tracker in it along with the camera. Wherever it went, they could always find her. "Nat?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you help me clip this on?" Kayla called quietly as Natasha walked out of the bathroom wearing a long red gown with a slit up to her thigh. Kayla looked her up and down, trying to push the lump in her throat down, "You look nice."

"And you look nervous," Natasha replied, motioning with her index finger for Kayla to turn around so she could clip the necklace, "All you have to do is keep the Avengers occupied. Make sure nobody gets too close. Make sure nobody kills me."

"Please don't talk like that Nat," Kayla mumbled, turning around to face her friend after her necklace was clasped, "Don't go after him alone."

"I won't be alone. I'll have my family here to have my back." Natasha assured Kayla, pulling her into a loving embrace. "I just need you to keep an eye out for me and the rest of the team." Natasha looked down at the choker around Kayla's neck, waving into the camera, "Just like they are keeping an eye on us right now." Natasha opened up a small box and offered Kayla a small round sticker comm for her ear. "We need to get moving Kay. They'll be expecting us."

Kayla nodded as she inhaled, her chest rising and falling as she mentally prepared to see her team again. "Let's go."

"Daddy!"

Steve looked up and smiled as Tessa pushed open the cabin door, allowing Sarah to run and jump at her father. He caught her easily, hoisting her up to sit against his shoulder, "There's my little girl." Steve looked up and saw James walking in with Tessa. "Hey, Buddy."

"Hey, Dad. How's it going?" James asked suspiciously, seeing Tony leaning against the table innocently, giving the boy a short wave.

"It's going." Steve strained out, bopping his head back and forth as he pulled his boy in for a one-armed hug with his free arm. "I'm glad you guys are here. Morgan's upstairs. You guys should go play. Tell Aunt Tess thank you for driving you out here."

"Thanks, Auntie Tess!" Sarah cooed as Steve set her down. The seven-year-old ran up to and hugged the short brunette before darting up the stairs, wheezing to a stop at the top. James looked at Tessa, then his dad then thanked the woman before following his sister easily upstairs.

Once the adults heard the door slam shut, Tony quickly brought up the hologram screen playing the feed from Kayla's necklace as she walked into the ballroom. Tessa's breath caught in her chest at the sight, a room filled with beautiful, dangerous people. Her friend was there. "This... this is unreal."

Tony turned to Tess with a piqued brow, "So you're rolling with the Rogers now?"

She opened her mouth, then closed it, swallowing her words and instead turned back to the feed, "So what do we do now?"

"We watch. And we wait. We prepare to help them in any way we can." Tony answered as Steve placed a headset over his head, pulling the mouthpiece closer to his lips before hitting the on button near his ear, "Kay, you hear me?"

"Yes." She muttered under her breath, pushing her chin back so her voice went straight down. Steve couldn't even recognize his wife with her heavy southern accent. "I hear you."

Steve nodded as Tessa leaned against the banister of the stairs, watching the video with wide eyes. Steve looked back over his shoulder at the brunette, then to Tony, "We're here Kay. Whatever you need."

Kayla didn't answer. She turned and smiled, greeting a passing agent as Natasha led the way through the crowd toward the stage. As Kayla followed the Black Widow, the camera showed Steve, Tony, and Tessa everybody in the room. Tony tapped away on his screen, pulling information to the side as Tessa watched intently, "What are you doing?"

"I'm scanning everyone in attendance and getting all the identities that I can. Any and all information we can get gets us closer to flushing Hydra out and shutting them down. We can see if anyone interesting is here." Tony explained mindlessly as he worked, focusing on what he did as Tessa observed.

Tessa felt her stomach churn at the footage, knowing that Kayla was in danger. And Bucky would be riding into it soon. The worst part was that nobody knew what was about to happen. Even Kayla seemed in the dark. All she knew was that she was walking into a trap for her friends.

Steve clenched his hands onto the kitchen table while his eyes were glued to the screen. Schmidt was going to be there. With his wife. Without him.

"Attention everyone! Attention everybody!" A beautiful redhead woman who stood at least six feet tall walked up to the microphone on the stage. She wore a leather black skirt and matching jacket. She screamed Hydra to Kayla, and it made the super-soldier squirm in her boots. "You're all here for a reason- you are the best of the best. You've proven your loyalty to Hydra and its cause. Here we are, at the tip of the iceberg. Everything is about to change. We are about to create a new order, a new _world._ A world where nobody threatens us. We are in control. We will no longer hide in the shadows. Because we... we will be the light."

As she finished her speech, the lights in the ballroom went out, plunging everything into darkness. What Kayla and Natasha didn't realize, was that the darkness spread beyond the Seattle hotel. All of Seattle fell into darkness, and then all of Washington, and then the midwest and eventually all of the United States were in the dark. The traffic lights went out. The emergency breakers came on. Everyone across the country was in the dark.

"Stark!" Steve barked as he looked around, unable to see anything. He heard Morgan and Sarah shrieking upstairs and the sound of Pepper's heels clicking in the darkness to check on the children. Steve tapped the headset to turn it on, "Kay! Kay are you there?"

"We're here. Everything's dark." Kayla whispered, kneeling onto the ground as people shuffled around, trying to figure out what was happening. "You see anything?"

"Power is out here. You think it has anything to do with you guys?"

"Probably," Kayla grumbled as she bumped her head into a table. She shuffled under the table, waiting to hear more from Steve or for the power to return. "I don't suppose we have an ETA on the cavalry?"

"Naw sweetheart, that's all Nat. All you have is us." Tony called into the mouthpiece before being pushed away harshly by Steve. The soldier had a pretty easy time seeing in the dark with his enhanced vision, but that didn't help his wife much. He noticed Tessa holding onto the banister, and carefully reached toward her, startling her.

"Sorry, sorry, are you alright?" Steve asked, holding Tessa by the shoulder, "I know this must be scary for you."

"I'm a little spooked, but I'll be okay," Tessa mumbled into the darkness, reaching her hand out and finding something firm and hard. After a couple of seconds, she realized it was Steve's chest and pulled her hand back as he chuckled, "I'm sorry Steve."

"No, it's fine. Thank you for everything you've done today. Take a seat, hold tight. We'll get this sorted out." Steve gently grabbed her upper arm and gently pulled her down to the wooden steps. She sat in the darkness, knowing there was nothing she could say or do. Only wait.

Only wait.

Kayla closed her eyes, focusing all of her senses on what was happening outside the table she hid under. She heard muffled talking and could smell the slight odor of burning. After a moment, she heard the heavy footsteps of boots on the wooden floor. She opened her eyes, seeing the slightest orange glow emitting from outside the tablecloth. "Steve."

"What is it, Kay?" Steve asked as he pressed against the headset, holding a flashlight in his free hand as Tony worked on getting his emergency breakers working. Everything was knocked out.

"He's here."

Steve's hand fell, taking the light with it. Tessa heard a soft curse leave the billionaire's mouth as a spark shot out from the breaker he played with. A moment later, the lights flickered back on, and cheering was heard from the children's room upstairs. Tony and Steve shared a look before Tony asked Friday to bring the camera feed back up.

"Kayla. Kayla, we have power, do you?"

"Yes." She whispered, her voice shaking as badly as her body as she peeked out of the tablecloth. "He's on the stage."

Steve watched the video feed with Tony at his side and Tessa peering past them from the stairs, trying to catch a glimpse of the terrible man who was behind Hydra. What they saw would haunt Tessa's dreams for the rest of her life. The tall, bony man in a floor-length leather jacket stood before the crowd with spread arms. Kayla's jaw quivered as she realized his face was once again gone, and a terrible red skull was in its place.

"Welcome to the new world!" Schmidt called out, and the crowd cheered loudly before they began chanting 'Hail Hydra'. Kayla looked around for Natasha, but couldn't find her disguise anywhere. She was alone. Her eyes were brought back to the stage when Schmidt slammed his cane into the ground, causing the room to silence. Schmidt's eyes scanned the room, and Kayla hid behind the tablecloth again, peeking through the smallest crack she saw the Red Skull looking up toward the ceiling with a smirk. "Hydra will control the nations. There will be no more flags. No more heroes. Just order." He stared around the room, taking in each and every one of his loyal followers. "I looked Thanos in the eyes. I gave him the ultimatum that made him cry. If I can bring tears from the man who killed half the universe... don't you want to see what I can do?"

The crowd murmured, and Kayla felt a tear trickle down her face. Her chest rose and fell roughly as she tried to steady her breathing, but dread had already settled into her heart. "Steve. Steve, I'm so scared."

Tessa clenched the banister as she sat on the wooden stairs. All she could see was the black of the tablecloth, but she could sense the pressure in the room. Tessa understood Kayla Rogers for the first time in the seven years she'd known her. She finally understood why she lied, and why she hid to protect her family. And now Tessa was watching her hide under a table from a madman with no backup or help that she knew of.

Suddenly, Kayla heard the familiar _ting_ of vibranium and pulled the cloth aside to see Captain America slamming Red Skull into the stage. The room erupted into gunfire as the Avengers arrived, throwing the room into chaos. Kayla somersaulted out into the clearing just in time to dodge an arrow that zoomed past her head. She stopped and turned, seeing a purple-clad Hawkeye aiming another arrow at her. She jumped out of the way before being kicked hard in the gut by nothing. "What the actual hell?" She groaned as she held her stomach and rolled to her side. A brunette girl appeared before her, wearing a suit similar to Ant Man's. Kayla whimpered as the girl looked down at her, then shrunk and took off flying, taking out other Hydra agents.

"Kayla? Kayla are you okay?" Steve yelped into the comms, sparing a glance up the stairs to make sure his children weren't listening, "Please answer me."

"I'm fine. Just got taken out by the newest member of the Avengers. Cassie, right?"

"Something like that," Steve answered with the slightest hint of a chuckle. "Stay down for a minute. We're scanning the footage of the scene."

"They are good at what they do," Kayla mumbled, rolling onto her ass to take a better look around. She saw the new Hawkeye and Scott Lang's daughter fighting Schmidt's redheaded guard. A loud clang caught Kayla's attention and she looked up to see Sam engaging in hand to hand combat with Schmidt before being knocked aside by a blast of his power. Kayla rose to her feet slowly and turned, looking up at the monster on the stage only a few feet away. He didn't notice her, but he paused for just a second, his eyes glowing yellow before he turned, but she was already gone.

Kayla ran through the room in pandamonium as the Hydra members pulled guns from who knows where and began shooting toward the Avengers. She heard the rapid-fire of a machine gun and felt the tear of a bullet through her shoulder, knocking her to the ground.

"Kay!" Steve cried out, only able to see the ground, "Kay, what happened?"

Kayla gasped and pushed herself to her feet, twirling around to see the Winter Soldier with his gun aimed at her. Kayla deflated a little and groaned, "That's what happened."

Realization dawned on Tessa in slow motion as she took in what Kayla was seeing. As Kayla accepted it with resignation, Tessa understood with a newfound sense of horror. The man who had wooed her so sweetly just days prior was a killing machine. Any and all sweetness was gone. Tessa saw the Winter Soldier for the first time. "Oh God..."

"Kayla, drop your veil, they don't know it's you." Steve barked into his headset, his eyes scanning the hologram as his wife faced off against his best friend.

"If I do that Schmidt could recognize me. Then I'm dead for sure." Kayla hissed, running full speed toward Barnes. Her voice changing tech was damaged and the heavy accent gave way to her own voice. "I just have to keep them busy."

"No, you need to keep them focused on Hydra and away from you and Nat!" Steve answered back but his wife was going to do it her way.

Bucky aimed his gun at Kayla as she charged him at super-human speed. He tilted his head ever so slightly, realizing she was too fast. He dropped his arm, lowering his gun as she slid to a stop, landing a hard punch against his cheek. He looked back, giving her a knowing smile and nod. He sent a sloppy hit toward her and missed as she knelt down and swept his legs, then took off running.

Tony narrowed his eyes as static broke through. "Friday, what's that noise?"

"She's got another comm on her sir."

"Get me audio for that one too!" Tony ordered, turning to Steve, "Barnes gave her a comm from the other side."

"I've got eyes on Schmidt, I'm going after him!" A voice cut through the audio, and Kayla recognized it the moment Stark did. Deeper, older, but still the same life to it.

Kayla skidded her boots to a stop and took off sprinting in the other direction as she saw Spiderman swing across the ceiling toward the exit. The web-slinger dodged bullets with ease before hitting the ground and taking off on foot out of the ballroom doors into the main hotel. Kayla felt the sting of the bullet hole in her shoulder as she pushed herself harder to catch up with Peter. Once outside the ballroom, the hotel was in just as much chaos. Guests were running in terror, trying to get away from the gunfire that echoed throughout the halls. Police officers were trying to contain the madness, ushering everyone out as a SWAT team made their way toward the ballroom.

"Parker, I'm still engaging Schmidt, one of us is chasing a decoy!" Sam's voice cut through the comms, and Kayla stopped in her tracks to spin around. She tried to figure out where Peter's target was as he hung from the ceiling, aiming his arm toward someone in the crowd. Without warning, whoever Peter was chasing turned and shot a heavy-duty blaster at Spiderman, severing his web and hitting the hero in the process.


	50. Chapter 50

Kayla dove toward Peter as he fell, hitting the floor hard on his back. "Peter!" Kayla slid to a stop and knelt down, yanking off the mask harshly to see the man's face. "Peter, wake up!"

Steve stared at Tony anxiously, trying to gauge the billionaire's reaction as Kayla shook the man awake. In the late hours of the night when Steve and Kayla would bring the kids to the lake, Tony would pour out his life's regrets. The top of that list was always Peter Parker, and how he hadn't admitted to his young protege that he was alive. Tony watched with bated breath, wishing he could be there to help. "Come on kid, wake up."

Kayla pressed two fingers to his neck and sighed, "He's breathing, but he's been hit. Hydra's got some powerful weapons." She ran her fingers along his side, which smelt like burnt skin and scorched fabric, "I'm not going to leave him."

Without warning, a loud crack was heard from the ceiling above. Kayla snapped her head up as another shot was sent toward the beams. They meant to bring down the building on the Avengers. The comm that was stuck to Kayla's dress crackled before Sam's voice broke through, warning everyone to retreat. The noise startled Peter awake, and he quickly realized a strange woman was holding him and he wasn't wearing his mask. "Who are you?" Peter quickly pushed the woman onto her back so he had the upper hand, and Kayla laughed despite her position.

"It's good to see you too Peter Parker." She chuckled before reaching up to turn off her photostatic veil. As her face reappeared, Peter stumbled back onto his feet, staring down at the woman in amazement. Kayla pushed herself onto her elbows and smiled, nodding to herself as she took in the young man, "Look at you Spiderman. You're all grown up." She used one of her hands to adjust her choker, making sure it was facing forward so her team could see who it was. She _knew _somebody back in New York would want to see what Spiderman became.

"You're supposed to be dead." Peter spat out, looking up quickly as another shot it the roof, "You were executed-"

"Peter I think we have bigger problems than whether or not I deserved the death penalty, we have to get out of here," Kayla grunted as Peter easily pulled her to her feet. "We need to kill the Red Skull."

Peter shot a web toward the ceiling and grabbed Kayla, swinging her across the hall back toward the ballroom. Tessa's jaw was slack as she watched the camera soar through the air, projected over Tony Stark's kitchen table. Tony Stark himself had his hand to his mouth and tears in his eyes as he watched the events unfold.

"This... this is insane. This is too much..." Tessa's voice was barely above a whisper as she backed away from the table, making a beeline for the front door. "I have to go."

Tessa stopped dead in her tracks as her hand reached for the knob, looking over her shoulder one more time as the camera steadied, Kayla being placed onto the ground. Tessa's heart pulled in her chest as her three years as Katie Carter's best friend came flooding back. All the wine nights and lazy afternoons. All the laughter and tears. If Tessa walked out that door, she'd never know what happened next.

With a loud groan, Tessa let go of the doorknob and stomped back into the kitchen, standing between Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. They looked at her questioningly, "I can't turn my back on my best friend."

"Plus, things are just about to get good," Tony mumbled, and Tessa caught on to his sarcasm. The man looked worried. Steve looked uneasy. Tony looked to the brunette and gave her a grim smile, "You might not want to see what happens next."

Kayla stood behind Peter as he took his place next to the other Avengers. When Kate Bishop aimed her bow toward the raven-haired woman, Peter put his arm up to stop her, "She's with us."

Sam gave Kayla a friendly nod as Captain America retracted his wings and took the lead, plowing forward toward where Johann Schmidt stood waiting for them at the base of the ballroom stage. Bucky brought up the rear, gun raised at the ready in case there were any other Hydra agents lurking in the shadows. Kayla looked around frantically, looking for Natasha, but she couldn't find the blonde disguise anywhere. She turned her photostatic veil back on and followed closely behind a maskless Spiderman as they approached the Red Skull.

Johann Schmidt laughed loudly as they approached, offering a wicked smile as he addressed Sam, "Captain America! We meet again. It's been, so long since we last saw each other. Of all the souls I took that evening, your girlfriend's was the one I feasted on most."

Sam shook in his red boots, but it was Kayla who lunged forward, her jaw set furiously as she tried to claw her way past Spiderman to the red monster before them. The Red Skull took a step forward, peering around Sam and Peter to the unfamiliar woman behind them. His eyes glowed gold and his mouth broke apart into a toothy grin, "Mrs. Rogers."

Kayla pulled off the photostatic veil and discarded her wig, facing off with the Red Skull as herself in a skin-tight black dress. She didn't answer as she took a step around Peter to stand next to Sam. "You'll pay for that."

"For what?" Schmidt taunted, cracking his bony jaw as he smiled at her.

Kayla's whole body shook as she clenched her fists, "You know."

The Red Skull shrugged and turned away from the group, "No matter how many souls I harvest, I can't seem to unlock the power of the Soul Stone. So many years spent searching for answers here, and across the galaxy. But then it hit me." Schmidt turned and faced Kayla, his eyes burning into hers, "The stone requires a sacrifice. A soul for a soul. An everlasting exchange. And you undid that exchange."

Kayla raised her head defiantly as she scoffed at her enemy, "Oops."

"I figured you wouldn't be too sorry for your actions, but my plan worked nonetheless... here you all are." Schmidt gestured toward the Avengers in front of him. "But I'm not here to fight Captain America and the Avengers. I'm here to collect the soul I've been denied." Schmidt yanked his fist toward him and suddenly Kayla turned and found all the Avenger's glowing orange souls floating just beyond their bodies. Kayla gasped as she looked around, knowing she wasn't strong enough or powerful enough to stop Schmidt. He'd kill them all, then he'd kill her.

As Kayla turned the camera around to the Avengers, Tessa screamed and lunged toward the holograph. Steve grabbed her and spun her around, protecting her from the image displayed, "Shhh, Tess, it's okay."

"How can you say that? He's your best friend, that's your wife! It's not okay! It's not okay!" She screeched, pulling against Steve as he held her close, looking over his own shoulder to see what was happening. Tessa cried as she clenched Steve's shirt tightly. She didn't sign up for this.

Kayla slowly approached the Red Skull, passing by Sam's soul as it hung in front of the rest. Kayla felt a weight in her chest as she turned to the monster, "What do you want?"

"I want Natalia Alianova Romanova. The Black Widow. The soul you revived. With her, I'll unlock the power of the Soul Stone, and I'll be unstoppable. As we speak, Hydra is getting everything they need to take over the world. But knowing you're alive gives me a new purpose- to kill Steve Rogers."

Kayla shook her head back and forth slightly, "No. She's not here. She's not with the Avengers-"

"She didn't come with the Avengers, but she came with you. Her soul for theirs." Schmidt screamed at Kayla, and the redhead stood her ground as her whole body quaked in his sights. Kayla heard the gun cock with her enhanced hearing, but so did Schmidt, and he smiled at Kayla before turning to face the assassin behind him. "Natasha Romanoff."

"Red Skull." Natasha answered as she crept forward, gun ready. "I've waited a long time for this."

"So have I."

Schmidt threw his hand out toward Natasha just as one of his Hydra agents shot at the beams above the ballroom, causing the whole ceiling to collapse. Kayla covered her head, preparing to be smushed, but realized that nothing was falling. She looked up in time to see a red bubble around the Avengers with Wanda Maximoff in the middle holding it up. "Wanda?"

The Scarlet Witch turned to Kayla as a tear fell from her eye, "I thought you were dead."

Kayla beamed at her friend as she focused all of her powers on pushing the ceiling away from the team, who were now lying about on the ground from having their souls ripped from their chests. Peter pushed himself up first and went to wake up Cap, who in turn worked on stirring the two girls as Wanda kept them shielded. Kayla knelt down to Bucky and began shaking him until his steely blue eyes opened up and smiled at her.

"He's alive? HE'S ALIVE!" Tessa screeched loudly in Steve's ear and her voice cut through Kayla's comm, causing the woman to look at Bucky in confusion.

"Is Tessa there?" She asked as she held her hand to her ear, hearing the cheering on the other side. Then Kayla turned to the Winter Soldier, "Are you and Tessa?..."

A loud crack was heard from outside Wanda's shield, and a force of glowing yellow knocked the woman off her feet, causing the rubble to fall onto the Avengers. For a moment, the dust settled, and the room was still. Tessa, Steve, and Tony waited impatiently as the camera feed went out, signaling that Kayla and Bucky were under a pile of rubble.

"Come on... come on, please. Get up." Tessa prayed, clenching Steve as tightly as she could. The soldier couldn't speak. He couldn't even breathe.

_Come on Kay. You can do this. I know you can do this._

Suddenly, the camera began to shift and then move, causing a stream of light to illuminate the hologram as Kayla stood in the bright lights of the police cars that surrounded the now-destroyed building. She looked around, taking her husband and friends with her via her necklace. "Kayla." Steve released her name like it was a priceless jewel, "Baby, you have to get out of there."

Kayla stumbled to her feet, unable to respond or act on her husband's words. Her head lulled to the side, seeing Bucky pushing himself through the rubble to stand beside her. He quickly went to work pulling rocks aside to free Kate and Cassie as Sam pushed himself out of the debris. Captain America stood and helped up Wanda before facing their savior. "You're late, Captain."

"You're welcome. Schmidt's dead." Carol Danvers tossed her head toward the black leather jacket a few feet away. "At least he's knocked out cold."

While Sam and Carol decided how to deal with Red Skull, Kayla knelt down and cradled Spiderman, who had taken the brunt of the debris to protect Cassie and Kate Bishop. "Come on Parker. Wake up." She tapped his face lightly and he choked a little, shaking his head. Kayla caressed her collarbone, contemplating whether or not she was about to make a bad decision. Kayla gently pulled the sticker speaker out of her own ear and placed it in Peter's. She tapped the camera, "Say hello."

Steve took off the headset and handed it to Stark, who tentatively took it. He could stay silent. He could say nothing and stay in the shadows. Or he could speak to the man he considered his son. "Hey, Kid. I'm gonna need you to get up, okay?"

Peter's eyes flickered open at Stark's words, and he looked at Kayla with wide, disbelieving eyes, "Mr. Stark?"

"Yeah, it's me Kid. Get up. Finish the job... and Peter?"

"Yeah?" Spiderman choked out, feeling tears begin to well in his eyes. "Yeah, Mr. Stark?"

"I'm so proud of you."

Peter dropped his head as he laughed, "Thank you Mr. Stark. Thank you."

"Kay!" Sam called over to Kayla and the woman rose to her feet, leaving the earpiece with Peter as she stumbled over rocks to where Sam was standing. His face was sullen as Kayla reached him, and he sucked in a sob as Kayla realized what he was standing over.

Grey, lifeless Natasha Romanoff with no rubble around her. She wasn't killed by the building. She was killed by the Red Skull.

Kayla fell to her side and cradled her friend's body as tears fell freely from her green eyes and landed on Nat's pale cheek. "No. No please, please no. All this was for you, everything was for you... and he took you back." Kayla wailed, pressing her face against her friend's chest. Her sobs attracted the attention of everyone else, and they hung their heads in shame. Red Skull had won, and it was the last thing he did.

"We'll take Schmidt back to the compound. Put him on ice. See if we can figure out anything about the Soul Stone. With him inactive, Hydra will fall." Carol told everyone. Sam was too broken to give direction to his team. Natasha had spent four years undercover for this moment, and it ended as she'd hoped: with the end of the Red Skull.

"Kayla, we have to go. I'm gonna take you home." Sam said as he gently pried Kayla away from Nat, the woman sobbing uncontrollably. "Come on, Kay."

Suddenly Sam's comm erupted with yelling from Bruce Banner. "Cap! Cap, can you hear me?"

Yeah, what is it, Bruce?" Sam asked quietly, knowing the death of Natasha Romanoff would hurt him as much as Kayla.

There was a beat before Bruce answered, "I've been trying to call you for the past hour Sam. We all have. You need to look at the news."

Sam tapped away on his arm, bringing up a hologram of the news. A solemn-looking woman addressed the camera with terrified eyes, "News from Seattle reports that the Avengers have subdued and possibly killed the Red Skull, leader of Hydra. This, however, comes after the news of the decimation of the African nation of Wakanda."


	51. Chapter 51

Bucky ushered Kayla and Wanda back to the Avenger's quinjet while Sam and Carol handled the press and cleanup. Once the back of the jet was closed, Kayla fell to her knees and wept as Wanda sat beside her, massaging her back comfortingly, trying to hold back her own tears. "Kayla... where have you been all this time?"

Kayla sniffled, wiping her snot away on her arm, "I've been raising my kids with Steve. The past four years while Nat's been undercover I've been sending her anti-serum and an antidote for cyanide." Kayla shook her head sadly as she tried to lift her eyes to meet Wanda's, "There was nothing I could do to stop him from killing her." A bitter laugh escaped Kayla's throat, "I told her... I _told her_ it was a suicide mission. And look at this, I was right." Kayla dropped her head into her hands and Wanda wiggled her fingers around Kayla's head, and Kayla raised her head as Wanda stole away her memories of Natasha's corpse, easing the pain in the cruelest way possible- taking it away.

"Wakanda needs us now," Wanda muttered and Bucky lifted his head to look out of the windshield of the jet. Wanda grabbed Kayla's cheek and the woman leaned into the witch's slim fingers, "Kayla, we need to take you home."

"No. I need to go to Wakanda. I owe them that." Kayla raised her head, feeling her heart sink in her chest as more guilt sunk into her. "Has anyone heard from T'Challa?"

As if on cue, Sam opened up the back of the jet and led the rest of the team inside. His jaw was set tightly, and he rubbed his mouth roughly as he addressed Kayla, Bucky, and Wanda, "There's nobody left."

"What did you just say?" Kayla blurted, scrambling to her feet to meet Sam, "Nobody... left?"

Sam nodded nervously, "Our drone footage shows no survivors in the capital city. If they are alive, they are hiding well."

"There's no way Hydra got to T'Challa and Shuri, the Dora Milaje would stop them-"

"The drone footage didn't find any survivors, but it did find a lot of bodies." Sam interrupted, dropping his face to look at the ground, "We found- we found the King, the Queen, and the General."

Kayla felt her knees go weak and Bucky caught her, kneeling down to hold her as she leaned against him. Her legs crumbled as the repercussions of her actions years earlier fell upon her. If she hadn't taken the Soul Stone, if she hadn't gone to Vormir, if she hadn't freed the Red Skull...

_This is all my fault._

"I did this. I need to fix this." Kayla whimpered as she struggled to find her footing and stand, but she realized she wasn't just weak from finding out she'd killed her friends. Kayla had a bullet hole in her shoulder that she'd been skillfully ignoring until now.

"No. You're going home. You've been shot, and you have responsibilities there. You shouldn't have been here to begin with. Natasha shouldn't have dragged you into this." Sam scolded, but Kayla could tell his jaw was quivering. He was sad. They'd lost Natasha again, and he was supposed to be her backup. Kate Bishop piqued her brow at Sam curiously, and the Captain sighed, "It's need to know, and not everybody needs to know." He turned to address Kayla, and her face reddened sheepishly at his words, "You're done. Shield will have your head if they find out you're alive. This stays here. You don't exist."

"Yes, sir." Kayla muttered sadly, hanging her head as Wanda pressed her hand against Kayla's shoulder, using her magic to apply pressure to her healing bullet wound. When Sam turned to address the two younger women, Kayla turned to Wanda and Bucky, "I'm so coming to Wakanda."

"No." Her friends replied in unison, looking to each other before Wanda took the lead, "You're going home. We'll be in contact if we need you."

"You will. Schmidt wasn't working alone. The lawyer... the lawyer... she was magic." Kayla looked up to meet Wanda's sad eyes. The Scarlet Witch knew her devastated friend was grasping at straws. She was remembering things the way she wanted to- not the way they happened. There were never any signs that Schmidt had a partner, only legions of followers who believed him to be a god. Kayla grabbed Wanda's wrist, "Wanda, please, you need me."

"I know you want to make things better, but..." Wanda trailed off, knowing what she was about to say would destroy Kayla. But it had to be said. "Haven't you done enough?"

Kayla pulled her neck back in shock, predictably offended by Wanda's accusation. "I've done so many things wrong, let me help do something right-"

"Your moral compass doesn't always point North, Kay. This is black and white. Good and evil. Evil won the battle, but we have to win the war." Wanda explained exasperatedly, rubbing the inner corners of her eyes with her ringed filled fingers. "Kayla, you mean well, but sometimes your well-meaning actions make things worse..."

"That goes for anybody!" Kayla shrieked, throwing her arms to her sides. "Anybody can make a bad call! Anybody can lead with their heart instead of their head!"

"Some people are more prone to it than others. Be careful what you wish for. The call might not come for you." Wanda warned as she stood and turned to join Cassie and Kate in their briefing with Sam.

Bucky pulled Kayla to her feet and her expression fell, understanding what Wanda meant. They'd call for Steve, but not her. The Avengers thought she was a loose cannon. She'd almost forgotten they were right.

"Cap, I can take her home." Peter offered as he raised his hand. His Spiderman suit was self-mending, quickly working to bring the red and blue suit back to its former glory. Sam met Peter's eyes, trying to figure out what the man's ulterior motives were. Sam was well aware that Peter had a pregnant wife waiting for him back in New York, which made his offer to take a detour for the former President's daughter even odder.

Sam groaned and shrugged, "Sure, get her home safe. Make sure she stays out of trouble." Bucky moved to protest, about to offer to take Kayla home, but Sam didn't give him the chance, "Barnes, I'm gonna need you to come with us to Wakanda."

Bucky closed his mouth, unable to protest, and just nodded. Kayla caught the disappointment in the soldier's eyes, and it wasn't just because he didn't want to go to Wakanda. He wanted to come with her, and it wasn't to see Steve.

As dawn broke over Tony Stark's lakeside cabin, Peter drove into the yard in the small rental car he'd gotten once they'd landed in New York City. He drove them several hours until they reached Tony's and now Peter wasn't sure if he was ready to face his idol. He was bitter that Tony hadn't reached out to him over the past eight years since the battle with Thanos at the Avenger's Compound. He was ashamed that Tony had been alive to see the disaster that was giving EDITH to Mysterio... and the man consequently revealing Spider-Man's secret identity to the world. Above all though, Peter Parker was just anxious to see the man who changed his life again after all this time.

Kayla turned to Peter, seeing the man clenching the steering wheel tightly and staring at the log cabin nervously. He'd been here before. He remembered the funeral. He remembered laying Tony to rest... but he'd heard his voice. Tony was alive.

Kayla bowed her head a little to look at Peter, studying his expression, "He doesn't know you're coming. You could drive away, and he'd be none the wiser."

"No." Peter answered quickly, looking at Kayla with wet eyes, "No, I really want to see him."

Kayla nodded, reaching for the door handle, "Let's go in then."

The woman led the way toward the log cabin, slowly turning the knob and finding it open. She looked around, seeing all the lights were off and the house was quiet. Kayla pulled her grey sweater around herself, letting it bring her comfort as she found her voice, "Steve?"

Suddenly she heard a snort as the man startled awake, sitting up from his spot on the couch at her voice. Zawadi heard it too and lifted his head from the floor where he slept beside his master. Steve blinked a couple of times, letting his blue eyes focus on his wife, "Kay? Kay!" Steve leaped over the back of the couch and embraced his wife tightly as she flung her arms around him. She squeezed him tight, pressing her cheek against his chest as she began to sob helplessly.

"Sounds like the Mrs. is home-" Tony called quietly as he jogged down the stairs. His voice caught in his throat when he saw who else stood in his doorway. "Peter."

"Mr. Stark?" Peter asked nervously, unsure if he could believe his eyes. Afraid it was a trick, an illusion. It couldn't be real. Something so good couldn't be _real._

"Hey Kid. You... you look good." Tony told Peter softly, looking the man up and down, "I guess you aren't a kid anymore."

Before he could say anything else, Peter stumbled over to Tony and threw his arms around the older man. Tony grunted as Peter threw his face into the crook of his neck, holding Tony too tightly, but Stark said nothing. He just hugged him back and pressed a kiss against the man's cheek as he silently sobbed.

Kayla pulled away to look at Steve with a quivering pout, her green eyes telling him more than her words ever could. Regret. Sadness. Shame. All Steve could do was comfort his wife and try to make her understand that it wasn't her fault. Not completely.

Both of the Rogers looked toward the stairs as the sound of sticky little feet walked across the wooden floor. "Mom?" James's voice wafted from upstairs and Kayla shifted so he could see her, fighting back her tears to appear strong for the boy. He came flying down the stairs at terrifying speed but Kayla was able to catch the eight-year old nonetheless, clenching him against her.

"I'm home. I'm never leaving you again."

"Mom!" Sarah's voice echoed her brother'ss as she ran down the stairs as well, losing her footing and beginning to fall before Steve lunged forward and caught her at the bottom, setting her back on her feet before she ran to Kayla and embedded herself into her mother's side.

"I love you both so much." Kayla whimpered to her children as she knelt on the floor. Sarah had nuzzled her head against Kayla's bullet wound but the super-soldier worked hard to not wince. She just needed to hold them. As Sarah stayed close to her mother, James backed away and stared at Peter curiously as he pulled away from Tony.

"You look like Spider-Man." James blurted, causing every adult in the room to stare at him in panic. Peter looked to Kayla and she shook her head, telling him to keep the truth from her son.

"I'm, uh-"

"This is Peter, he's a friend of Uncle Tony's. He gave your mom a ride here." Steve explained easily, but James shook his head, unconvinced.

"No, no I'm pretty sure he's Spider-Man. Spider-Man's name is Peter." Realization dawned on James's face and he looked bashfully at his father, "Maybe Uncle Tony didn't know...I'm so sorry, Uncle Tony." James blurted to Stark and the billionaire laughed, clenching his boy on the shoulder and giving him a long look.

"I can see it, James. I think you might be right. I think Peter might be Spider-Man. Are you?" Tony asked teasingly and Peter looked between the boy and Stark nervously. Peter nodded slowly, offering James an awkward smile and a thumbs up.

James stared up at Peter with wide eyes. Luckily the question of how Tony knew Spider-Man didn't pop up, but Steve was sure it would only be a matter of time. Steve pat his son gently on the back to encourage him, "Go say hello. And thank you for bringing Mom back safe."

While James was preoccupied with Spider-Man, Sarah was still holding tightly to her mother. "Mom, I had a bad dream."

Kayla pulled away and pushed Sarah's blonde hair away from her eyes, "Really? What was it, sweetie?"

"I didn't wanna tell Daddy, because they were talking about you."

Kayla drew her brows in and tilted her head questioningly at the child, "Oh yeah? Who was talking about me?"

"There were these three ladies. There were two ladies- and they were talking about you. And- and a third lady who looked like a witch." Sarah spouted as Steve knelt down to listen in.

Kayla met her husband's eyes with her lips pursed thoughtfully. She looked back to Sarah, pressing a kiss to her daughter's forehead. "It's okay, the witch won't get you."

"She wasn't trying to get me. She was just there with the other two. She had green skin and black hair. Everything was wet. One lady had this really scary thing that was kinda spiky. I almost touched it in my dream but I woke up." Sarah clarified quickly as she let go of her mom to go talk to Spider-Man with her brother.

Kayla turned to Steve expectantly, "Has this happened before?"

"Not that she's told me." Steve shrugged nonchalantly as he and Kay rose to their feet, "She whimpers in her sleep sometimes, but she hasn't told me about any dreams. Kids have nightmares. James has nightmares too sometimes. I wouldn't be too worried about it."

Kayla nodded and swallowed hard, willing herself to agree with Steve. Nothing to worry about at all.

"Looks like you couldn't cheat the Soul Stone after all."

Natasha heard the voice and spun around, realizing the Red Skull had murdered her when she looked up to see the ceiling collapse. This was worse than death though. She was back in purgatory. Nat came face to face with Gamora, who now sat on a small bed against a wall. Natasha spun around, taking in her surroundings. The last time she was here it was a ballroom, now it appeared to be a bedroom.

Nat smiled sadly, "I guess I couldn't."

"Hey Bitch! Welcome to the party."

Natasha turned again and saw Tiffany leaning against the closet, still wearing the strapless silver dress she wore the night she died. Her brows were raised, but she didn't necessarily seem surprised to see Natasha. Tiffany was expecting Natasha to respond to her banter with a quick-witted response. Something familiar after spending seven years trapped in the Soul Realm with nobody she knew.

"Tiffany?" Natasha choked out, taking a weak step toward the little brunette. "Have you- have you been here the whole time?"

Tiffany tensed, laying her head back and looking down her nose at her old friend as she offered a bitter chuckle, "That's the problem with Schmidt. He thinks the more souls he takes, the more powerful he'll become. He's a fool. He doesn't wield the Soul Stone, he's only gathered power from it."

Natasha backed away from Tiffany, taking a seat on the small bed tinted orange. She was vaguely aware that the carpet was made of water. "He said I was the key to unlocking the power of the Soul Stone. I failed. I wasn't able to kill him before he completed his goal."

"Your death wasn't in vain though, Nat," Tiffany assured, pushing away from the closet door to get closer to the redhead, "Schmidt was wrong. Your soul had nothing to do with it..." Tiffany pursed her lips and looked around the room before changing the subject, "How's Kayla?"

Natasha couldn't help but smile a little at the mention of their mutual friend, "She's Kayla. Passionate. Overdramatic. She's a wonderful mother. I regret that I didn't get a chance to get to know the kids."

"Never say never." Gamora mumbled from her spot next to Nat, "Our time in the Soul Realm isn't indefinite. We are only here until we are broken out."

Natasha looked from Gamora to Tiffany, waiting for her to corroborate the stranger's story. Tiffany nodded and forced a sad smile, "She's right. Lucky for us Schmidt doesn't have the Stone."

"But he thinks he does?"

"Exactly." Gamora explained, looking at Tiffany expectantly.

The small brunette played with the hem of her dress anxiously, then looked toward the closed closet door, "The Soul Stone has a sentience of its own, and it enhances and changes its host. Good becomes great. Bad becomes worse... now where have I heard that before?" Tiffany mumbled, lifting her head to look at Natasha.

Natasha crosses one leg over the other, leaning forward as Tiffany opened the closet door. Tiffany pulled out Captain America's shattered shield from the closet, holding it tightly in her small hands, "Strength and power mean nothing if you don't have the humility to use them. She'll find her strength soon enough." Tiffany stared at the shield chopped apart by Thanos himself, "She is her father's daughter."

_**Author's Notes**_

_**Siobhan- **__It was so terrible losing Nat again, and I went back and forth for such a long time about Wakanda, but this brings our heroes to rock bottom and shows that there's a real threat here. Unfortunately, we haven't seen the last of character deaths yet..._

**_CurlyOne-_**_ I found myself writing down a path where there were no consequences for the characters, and I realized that Hydra hadn't done their worst yet. This is it. This is their worst. And it's going to cause a ripple effect through the Avengers and their allies..._


	52. Chapter 52

"You're back."

Kayla looked up from the couch where she sat to see Tessa standing by the armrest. The auburn-haired super soldier offered a tight-lipped smile and a subtle nod.

"You, uh, come back alone?" Tessa prodded, sitting in the chair next to the fireplace across from Kayla.

Kayla chuckled, massaging her injured shoulder as she looked out the window, "Spider-man brought me home, but I kinda think you're looking for the Winter Soldier." Kayla looked back toward Tessa, raising her brow challengingly.

"Is he alright?"

"He is. He's got some business to attend to. I'm sure he'll check in when he can." Kayla informed the brunette and Tessa twisted her lips thoughtfully as she stared at the feet of the couch Kayla sat on, "Are you okay?"

Tessa raised her head to look at Kayla, "I- I witnessed things last night that I didn't expect. I'm a little freaked out. That," Tessa gestured to the shoulder Kayla held, "That was Bucky. He did that. And then he almost died. You almost died. It's... it's a lot. I don't know-"

"You don't know what you're missing. It's quite a life." Kayla chuckled, leaning her head back against the couch as she winced, "Comes with its challenges, but... it's worth it."

"Dating an Avenger?" Tessa questioned and Kayla grinned.

"You could travel the world. Go on adventures. Barnes would never let anything happen to you. Just be patient. Things are going to get worse before they get better. He won't be around for a long time." Kayla explained, leaning forward and pushing herself to her feet, "Now if you excuse me, I need to have a chat with my husband. Thank you, for helping him with the kids. I really do appreciate it, Tess."

A weak smile broke across Tessa's face, "I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you sooner. And I'm sorry- about your friend."

Kayla nodded, her face falling as she hung her head, "Yeah, me too." She moved around the couch to head out toward the front door, looking around outside for her husband. She saw him standing with Peter and Tony by the lake, supervising the three kids while they played near the water. When she approached, Steve turned and met her, wrapping his arms around her in a hug.

"How are you doing, honey?" Steve murmured as he rubbed her back, pressing a kiss into her neck as Kayla leaned into her husband.

"I'm okay. I'm feeling a little better. I just wanted to talk to you about what happened in Seattle. What's going on with the Avengers-"

"That's behind us now. Sam's got this under control." Steve cut Kayla off, leaning away to look at her face, "Kay, you've got to let it go."

"Nat's dead. T'Challa's dead. Wakanda is gone. It's all my fault. I can't live with that, I have to do something," Kayla argued, grasping onto Steve's upper arms as he tried to pull away.

"You're gonna get yourself killed. I can't sit back and watch while you run off into battle. If anybody's going to go after Hydra, it should be me."

Kayla scoffed when Steve crossed his arms defensively, "No. I did it. You need to stay with the kids."

"How about neither of us goes and we both survive to see our kids grow up?" Steve offered and grabbed Kayla's hands, holding her tight, "Please. I don't want to fight anymore."

Those words made Kayla's heart sink. Steve Rogers had spent his whole life chasing the fight, standing up for the little guy and never, ever backing down. Kayla had spent so long hoping and praying that he would hang up the shield and take her away to live a normal life, because she didn't love Captain America, she loved Steve Rogers. And now, standing before her was Steve Rogers, asking her to let him rest. He'd earned his rest.

Kayla nodded slowly, "Okay."

Steve's brows shot up, expecting her to fight him, "Okay?"

"Yeah. I'm putting you first. I'm putting what you want first." Kayla pressed her lips against Steve's as James came running toward them.

"Dad! Will you play catch with me? Sarah and Morgan don't want to play." James whined as he tossed a football straight into the air. "Please? Uncle Tony said we would be leaving tomorrow."

Steve turned to Kayla and she gestured toward their son with her head, giving him permission to play with their eight-year-old boy. Steve let go of Kayla's hands and turned to James, holding his hands out to receive the ball. James threw it hard to his father and Steve caught it, "Go long!"

As James ran quickly toward the trees, Steve chucked the football, sending it hurtling through the air much farther and faster than it should have. Kayla patted Steve on the back and wandered over to Tony and Peter. "How long can you stay?" She asked the young man, and Peter turned to face her with a sad smile.

"I really need to go. MJ's waiting for me. I can't tell her where I am, so I should probably get going." Peter turned from Kayla to Tony, "Can I come to visit again?"

Tony smirked and shifted his weight back and forth, "Yeah, I suppose that's alright. Set it up through Kayla. She knows how to get ahold of me."

Peter rubbed his face with his palm, feeling the exhaustion of the night prior weighing down on him. "I don't want to go. I don't want to face the reality of what's happened. It's like a different world here."

"And that's why I stay." Tony chuckled, patting the man on the back, "Bring it in kid." Tony wrapped his arms around Peter and held the man for a long moment, reliving their hug on the battlefield where Tony prepared to die. As usual, Kayla Rogers got in the way of that fate. He released Peter and nodded, a silent goodbye that Peter understood.

Kayla gave Peter a tight hug, thanking him for bringing her home. Then Spider-Man walked away, leaving Tony and Kayla alone to watch their daughters play at the water's edge.

"Let her go, Kay."

Kayla looked to Tony with a set jaw, pursing her lips thoughtfully, "I know. Steve's tapped out. I have to accept that I messed up, and caused something unexpected."

"It's kind of like how I told the world I was Iron Man and suddenly I was leading the Avengers." Tony retorted, causing Kayla to snort.

"I, uh, I think I'm married to the leader of the Avengers. Just saying." Kayla teased back, beaming at Steve as he gently tackled James to the ground. "At least I used to be."

"It's time to rest. I almost lost everything to bring back your son. You saved my life, I'm not going to risk it again. We have to enjoy what we have while we have it. Nothing lasts forever," Tony warned, shoving his hands in his pockets and wandering down to the lake to check on the girls. Kayla watched him go, seeing Sarah slip and fall before Morgan scrambled to help her up. But Kayla's little girl pushed herself up and dusted herself off before going back to her games.

Kayla smiled to herself and pushed a stay hair out of her face. Everyone was right. It was time to let the past be laid to rest, no matter how much guilt was hidden in her soul.

* * *

"This... this is sickening."

Bucky kept his head down at Sam's observation, but he didn't need to voice his agreement to feel it. The Golden City was still smoldering, and the smell of charred flesh hung in the air. Bucky's chest tightened as he stepped on a vibranium spear that had once belonged to a Dora Milaje. Now, it was a relic of the great nation of Wakanda.

"Where do we even begin, Cap?" Cassie Lang asked quietly, swallowing down the vomit rising in her throat.

Sam looked around, trying to hide the fact that he was literally shaking. He wanted to be brave for his team, but he didn't know how. This was carnage like he'd never seen before. "I don't know. I guess we find them. And we avenge our friends."

* * *

"Mom! James broke my iPad!"

"I didn't break it, she left it on the floor and I stepped on it! It's not my fault it was by my shoes!"

"He still broke it! The screen is cracked!"

Kayla groaned loudly and rolled her eyes before shoving a second peanut butter and jelly sandwich into Sarah's pony lunchbox. "Sarah, why was your iPad on the floor? Floors are for walking, if you leave things laying around they get stepped on."

"Ha ha!" James mocked, pointing at Sarah as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, oh no, you have no excuse either. Your allowance is going toward repairing her tablet. You can watch where you're going, you little tornado." Kayla warned her son, handing him his Avengers lunchbox before scooping up the broken iPad from the floor. "Put your shoes on, we have to leave."

"But Moooom." James whined, but Kayla ignored him, pointing toward the shoes as she studied the tablet, trying to decide whether to send it to Tony for fixing or just buy her daughter a new one.

James huffed and pulled his shoes on, glaring at his little sister before stomping out the front door toward the van out front. Sarah slipped on her shoes with her head down, avoiding her brother and mother's gaze. "Sarah, I'll fix your tablet, you just need to put it away, okay? You can't blame your brother for everything. Sometimes you need to take responsibility for your own actions."

"I'm sorry Mom." Sarah mumbled, and Kayla lifted her chin, greeting her blue eyes with a smile.

"It's okay. Let's go, you're going to be late for school." Kayla lifted Sarah up by the armpits and nodded toward the door, ushering her young daughter toward the car.

Kayla drove in silence, focusing on the road and cars that sped by. Forty-eight hours earlier she'd been across the country. Forty-eight hours earlier Natasha had been alive. But Natasha was the least of Kayla's guilt. Wakanda had been decimated, and it had Hydra's name all over it. Despite Schmidt being in the Avengers' custody, his second in command was still at large.

"Mom!"

Kayla slammed on the breaks, causing the van to skid to a stop in the drop off zone of the school. Her son's worried voice brought her back to the present as she looked in her rearview mirror. "Sorry... sorry. Have a good night- day... at school. Have a good day at school. Be good. I'll be back for you later."

Sarah and James exchanged a worried look, then Sarah unbuckled herself and slid out the door as James questioned his mother, "Are you okay Mom?"

"Yeah, I'm fine honey. Love you two." Kayla assured her kids as they grabbed their backpacks and scurried toward their school, leaving their mother to zone out alone.

Kayla drove slowly, her eyes darting around nervously. Paranoia had kept her awake for three days since her family had returned home. She laid awake every night, imagining Natasha's body and her friends having their souls ripped away. Kayla avoided the news because she couldn't bear to see the carnage from Wakanda. It was all her fault.

She rolled to a stop at a light, looking casually to her left where she caught a glimpse of the Red Skull standing beside her. She jumped, letting out a yelp as she slammed on the breaks, causing the car behind her to honk loudly. Kayla turned to the left again, but there was no one there.

Kayla grabbed her chest as she panted, trying to calm herself down as she looked around nervously. She raked her fingers through her auburn hair as she swallowed down her fear, accepting that Schmidt wasn't actually there.

_Am I losing my mind?_

Kayla dialed Steve, praying that he'd answer. "Hello? Honey?"

"What is it, Kay? Are you alright?" Steve asked quickly, leaning forward at his desk. "Where are you?"

"I dropped off the kids at school. I- I thought I saw him. I see him everywhere..."

"Kay, he's gone." Steve assured his wife, resting his face in his palm as he took a deep breath, "He's gone and he can't hurt us anymore. It's done."

"It's not done because he wasn't working alone. The woman from the trial- that woman is still out there, and I think she's worse than Schmidt was." Kayla whimpered, feeling tears well up in her green eyes. "Steve, it's all my fault."

"We've been over this. Over and over again. We need to move on. The Avengers have Schmidt. And the Avengers will take care of what happened in Wakanda. It was a terrible event, but you didn't cause it. It's time to let it go and move forward." Steve pulled off his glasses to clean them, clenching his cell phone between his cheek and his shoulder. "I'll see if I can make it home early tonight. Go see Tessa. I don't want you to be alone."

Kayla nodded, knowing full well her husband couldn't see her. "Okay. I love you. So much."

"I know. I love you too. See you later honey."

As the line went dead, Kayla looked up, seeing a blonde woman smiling at her in the car coming toward her in the other lane. She looked over her shoulder before shaking her head violently, trying to shake away the familiarity of the woman away. It wasn't the woman working with Schmidt. Kayla was safe. Steve was safe. Their kids were safe. Schmidt wouldn't bother them again.

At least, that's what she tried very hard to tell herself.

* * *

Bucky and Sam watched Carol shove Schmidt into the glass chamber and quickly snap the metal shackles around his arms and legs while Bruce held him against the board. The red-faced monster laughed at the Avengers as they prepared to trap him.

"You think this will end it, but I'm just the beginning. Let Hydra fall. Destroy my legions, destroy my plans, but it will lead to your demise just the same. I will be the death of Captain America and his family. And once you've mourned them, she'll be the death of you."

"Put him on ice!" Bucky snarled tauntingly, clenching his metal hand angrily. While he'd spent several days with Sam in Wakanda, Carol and Wanda had put their combined forces to the test on Johann Schmidt, but even the Scarlet Witch couldn't extract enough information to uncover his plan. She had a name, and she had a face, but even the Red Skull didn't know where Amora the Enchantress would strike next. He'd instructed her to destroy Wakanda, and then go on a rampage of her own design. He'd known about Wanda Maximoff and her abilities. He was prepared to be captured by the Avengers and ensured that his partner would not.

Sam looked toward Bruce and nodded, giving the scientist the go-ahead to put the Red Skull into cryo until they figured out what to do with him. They'd gotten everything they could from him, but death was too kind for such a monster. Bruce flipped the switch next to the chamber and it filled with ice as Schmidt laughed, falling into suspended animation until the Avengers needed him again.

"What now?" Kate Bishop mumbled as she leaned against the wall, cleaning the tip of one of her arrows. Cassie paced around, looking at Sam occasionally for direction. Carol and Wanda just stood on either side of the cryo chamber, thankful that they wouldn't have to deal with Schmidt again. The chamber was pulled back into a storage safe by Bruce and locked behind three vibranium enforced doors. Once inside, Bruce tapped away on the screen, sucking the air out of the safe. Even if Schmidt managed to escape the cryo chamber, he'd die without oxygen.

Sam led the team toward the meeting room of the Avengers' Compound and began pulling up screens as his team took seats around the table. Bucky rested his metal arm against the glass, tapping it gently to hear the ting. He was distracted by Schmidt's words and the fight before them. He pulled out his phone, and began texting until Sam cleared his throat, snatching the team's attention.

"Amora, an Asgardian known as the Enchantress, has been working with Schmidt for the past eight years. While he was the puppet, she was the brains, and she's the one who led Wakanda to ruin. Disguising her Hydra agents as Wakandans, she snuck an army past the barrier surrounding the city, and overtook the capitol from the inside. She is our target. We take out Hydra along the way. She's powerful like Thor but with magic, like Loki, and a million times worse." Sam explained, leaning on the table to face his team, "It's going to be a long road. It's going to be a hard road. But we need to rid the world of this witch and her followers. Whatever it takes."

Bruce felt his skin crawl at Sam's words, but nodded none-the-less. "Then I think we could use all the help we can get."

Sam looked to Bruce, his brows raised as if to question what he meant, but Bruce simply looked down at the shield for a moment before looking back up to Sam. The Captain understood and breathed in sharply, "We probably could."


	53. Chapter 53

_**Author's Notes: HI! Sorry I fell off the face of the Earth, my laptop crashed and died and I've been trying to sort that out! Now I have a brand new, beautiful laptop that I'm breaking in so I can bring you new chapters! Thank you all for sticking around and I hope you enjoy as we head off on our new adventure! **_

**Eight Months Later**

"... so I've owned my own practice for the past seven years. Dentistry wasn't exactly the dream, but it's the family business."

"Mmmhmm." Tessa hummed absently in response as she cut her filet mignon. Her long brunette hair was pulled into a low bun at the nape of her neck, but a long strand kept escaping and falling into her face, a welcome distraction from her boring date.

The ginger-haired dentist didn't realize his date was uninterested, but Tessa was a good sport and continued to make eye contact as she chewed her steak, half-listening to his stories. He'd gotten dressed up and taken her to a fancy restaurant, the least she could do was pretend the evening was going well.

But Tessa's mind was somewhere else, somewhere far away, with one James Buchanan Barnes. The last time he'd come to see her was five months ago, just before Christmas, and he'd told her not to wait for him. Bucky told Tessa he didn't know how long he'd be gone, and he wanted her to be happy. She begrudgingly accepted that he had a job to do that was bigger and more important than their almost-relationship. That didn't mean she didn't think about him every damn day. Tessa could almost still feel his lips against hers as he kissed her goodbye in the falling snow...

"And then I spent the summer in Namibia working with underprivileged kids. It was the most formative experience of my life."

Tessa nodded quickly, coming back from her daydream, "Yes, I'm sure it was! I'd love to travel to Africa someday. Honestly, I'd love to travel anywhere..."

She imagined her fridge in her tiny apartment. It was currently filled with postcards from all over the world, ranging from Australia to Chile to Japan. Every time Bucky and the Avengers stopped somewhere new Kayla would come into the shop with the kids, passing off the postcard that had accompanied a detailed note for herself and Steve. Bucky did a great job of keeping the couple updated on their progress- or lack thereof.

One evening at Kayla and Steve's home she noticed the note from Bucky on the kitchen counter and read it quickly while Kayla helped Sarah with her English homework. Tessa had memorized every curve of the cursive note, taking in how heavy-handed Bucky wrote. It was then that she realized it was time to move on.

_Steve-_

_I know you've turned down Sam time and time again over the past six months, but I'm starting to think we really could really use you. Last week in Angola we almost lost Kate fighting against the Hydra agents. The Enchantress is more powerful than we anticipated. She morphed the men into vicious monsters twice as strong and fast as you and I. And they know everywhere we go. I'm beginning to worry we won't make it home from this one. I'm glad you told Sam no, but perhaps we could use your insight. If anything, we could use your anonymity. Give Kayla and the kids my love. Tell Tessa I miss her terribly, and I pray every day that I'll make it home to her. Don't do anything stupid until I get back._

_James Buchanan Barnes_

That was two months ago. Bucky didn't write such honest letters to Tessa. Instead, he sent her beautiful postcards telling her how he thought about her and how he wished she was there with him. But it wasn't until that note to Steve that Tessa realized how scared Bucky was, and that he didn't expect to make it home alive. His love notes to her were just a way to give him hope, even if he often told her he hoped she was happy.

"So how long have you owned the Brewhouse?" Tessa's date asked, taking a bite of his chicken cordon bleu as he watched Tessa curiously.

"Umm..." Tessa thought for a moment, staring up at the ceiling, "Eight years I think? Almost nine? Where does the time go? I bought it after we all returned. After the Blip." She took another large bite of her steak, feeling better after giving the poor man some information about her. He seemed to relax after the information as well, finally seeing the conversation going in the right direction.

"Maybe we could stop by for a late-night snack? I'm sure you've got some leftover pastries. I'll pay." The redhead winked at Tessa and she raised her eyes in surprise, taking a long sip of her red wine. After swallowing she nodded her head, setting down the wine and pushing the stray hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, we can definitely do that. Sounds like a plan. A great plan."

* * *

The Brewhouse had been closed for an hour when Tessa's date parked across the street. She led him to the coffee shop, pulling out her set of keys to unlock the front door. She hadn't bothered fixing the revolving door after Steven Carter had practically destroyed it months ago. He'd rebuilt her new door by hand as payment. Tessa looked over her shoulder, finding her date staring at her ass as she unlocked the door. Tessa rolled her eyes as she turned back to the lock, finally popping open the front door.

Once inside, the man wrapped his arms around Tessa and closed the door, flipping the lock behind him, "Alone at last."

Tessa felt herself shiver, knowing he was about to go in for the first kiss. She wasn't ready for that. Panic rose into Tessa's chest as she tried to think of a way out of what was about to happen. Her date was a nice guy. He'd paid for dinner. He'd pulled out her chair and opened her car door. He deserved this, right?

"Not exactly."

Tessa and her date looked up simultaneously to see a shadowy figure leaning against the glass case by the register. Her date pushed Tessa behind him to protect her, squinting his eyes to see who had broken into the Brewhouse. "Who's there? What do you want?"

"I want to talk to her. Alone. I think it's time you leave. Date's over. Goodbye."

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Tessa's date snarled, but Tessa pushed past him without fear. Her chocolate eyes began to well with tears as her breath caught in her chest.

"Alex, it's been great. Tonight- tonight has been wonderful, but I know him. I think we should talk alone. Thank you for everything. I'll be safe, I promise." Tessa said without turning around. Her focus was locked on the man in front of her, and nothing else mattered.

The other man groaned and grumbled something about a terrible date before storming out the front door, slamming it closed in the process.

Bucky slowly walked past Tessa and locked the door, then turned around and closed the gap between them. "It's been too long. I'm sorry."

"You told me to move on. But I couldn't. That guy was the worst. He wasn't you." Tessa breathed as Bucky gently cupped her elbows in his hands. Tess looked up at Bucky in the darkness, leaning toward him as she added, "I was scared I'd never see you again."

"That makes two of us." Bucky chuckled, slowly dipping down to kiss Tessa sweetly. He lifted his right hand to her jaw, caressing it as he pressed a little harder against her lips.

Tessa grabbed the back of Bucky's head and nipped at his lower lip, deepening the kiss as she pulled him down to her. "What are you doing here Bucky? Shouldn't you be fighting the Enchantress and Hydra or something like that?"

"I came to see you." He moaned into her mouth, grabbing her by the thighs and hoisting her up to reach her better. "And-"

"And?" Tessa asked, pulling away slightly to look into his grey-blue eyes.

Bucky sucked in his breath, forcing out a sweet smile, "And ask if Steve will come fight with us."

Tessa's smile dropped into a deep-set frown. She narrowed her eyes at Bucky and he slowly put her back on the floor. "No. No-no-no. Absolutely not. You came to me first so I'd help you convince Steve to leave his family and come traverse the world fighting modern-day Nazis with you. I'm not gonna do that. And frankly, I'm insulted that I was just a side thought. You're here to see your boyfriend, not me."

"Tess! Tess come on!" Bucky whined as Tessa shoved his chest and stormed toward the front door. "Tess, I came to take you with me."

The short brunette stopped at the glass, lifting her head curiously as Bucky's confession reached her ears. She turned around, crossing her arms over her silver dress. "I'm listening."

"We're heading to Europe for a few weeks. I'm hoping to bring Steve along to go undercover with me. We're going to cut off the heads when the queen isn't looking. You should be safe. I'll come home to you every night. And we can see the world. Together." Bucky promised, grabbing Tessa's shoulders. He rubbed her upper arm with his right hand, giving Tessa his best supportive smile.

She looked up skeptically at Bucky, "And you just expect me to up and leave my shop. My life, my friends?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping some of those friends would come with us," Bucky explained slowly, lowering his head to look a little closer at his best girl. "I have a plan. Sam okay-ed it. It involves a summer of European sightseeing, and you and me in a series of connected suites. But we'll get the room with the jacuzzi."

Tessa's knees threatened to buckle and collapse as her stomach plummeted. "Yeah, I could- I could maybe do that. But you have to get Steve on board yourself. I'm not getting involved in that. He has kids Bucky."

"And I think I have a very capable live-in babysitter." Bucky winked at Tessa and she leaned away, shaking her head as her jaw hung open.

"No. Absolutely not."

* * *

The clock struck three o'clock and the school bell echoed around the elementary school, causing all the children to cheer and run out the front doors, free for the next three months.

James came barreling down the stairs of the school building with two of his buddies, beating them by flying down the stairs three at a time. "Summer vacation!" He cheered, fist-bumping each of his friends as they cheered him on. James smoothed down his plaid shirt over his shorts, then ran his fingers through his unruly blonde hair. He was looking more and more like his father every day.

"James! James, wait up!"

James rolled his eyes and groaned loudly as he threw his head back, turning around to face his sister. "What is it, Sarah?"

"I'm asking you to wait, jerkface." Sarah slurred under her breath causing James's friends to snicker. James glowered at his friends, and they stopped laughing instantly. Going separate ways, they left the Carter siblings by themselves. James glared at his little sister, then led her toward the pick-up zone as she lifted her chin proudly.

Steve honked loudly from the pick-up zone, beckoning his two eight-year-old children to his pickup. "Get in kiddos, I'm taking you two for ice cream!" Steve stroked his short beard as he stared ahead, nodding a greeting to Richard the security guard. James got to the truck first, easily crawling in behind his father and buckling in before Sarah even got to the door.

"Whattup Dad?" James asked, unzipping his backpack to pull out a pair of purple reflective sunglasses. The boy placed them on his face as his sister pulled herself up into the truck, panting as she settled into her seat.

Steve looked up in the rearview mirror, seeing his son's smug grin and his daughter's frustrated expression, "So, how was the last day of school?"

"I passed all my classes with flying colors. Straight A's!" James yelped, throwing his hands into the air as Steve pulled away from the school. "My science teacher says I'm, a- what's the word? A prodigy."

"Yeah, whatever, we can't all be the perfect James Carter," Sarah mumbled, crossing her arms and sinking into her seat. "My day was fine. I got B's. But all my classmates wrote nice things in my second-grade memory book."

"See, that sounds like a great day. For both of you. So, ice cream? We're meeting Aunt Tessa for dinner tonight to celebrate. Only ten more years till you munchkins graduate and leave the nest." Steve winked at his kids in the rearview mirror before continuing to drive them home. James and Sarah shared a knowing look in the backseat. Their father was always talking about having the evening alone with their mom.

After ice cream, when Steve began pulling into the driveway, he found a black motorcycle already parked behind Kayla's van. The soldier threw the truck into park and turned it off, practically sprinting toward the front door. Before he could reach it, the red door swung open and Kayla stood on the other side. "The kids?"

"Are in the truck and fully capable of coming inside on their own. Where is he?" Steve yelped as he looked around his wife and she spread her arm behind her, allowing her husband into the house to see his best friend standing in the kitchen behind her. "Buck?"

"Long time no see, punk." Bucky responded, clasping Steve's right hand before pulling him into a hug. "How you been?"

"I've been... I've been good. Why are you here? How are you here? Is everyone alright?" Steve exclaimed, hardly aware of Tessa smiling at the men from behind the Winter Soldier.

Bucky nodded, a meek smile on his face, "Everyone's fine. I, uh, snuck away for a few days. Not long, just a couple days. I wanted to talk to you and see my girl."

"In that order mind you." Tessa snorted as she passed Bucky to stand in the living room with Kayla, just as the two kids entered through the front door.

"Uncle Bucky!" James yelled, dropping his backpack and his sister's that he was carrying to run and jump on his uncle while Sarah scurried behind him.

"There's my godson!" Bucky exclaimed happily, embracing James in a hug before pulling away to look at him better, "Wow, you look so much like your dad. Sarah! My gosh, look at you! Eight sure looks good on you kid."

"Thank you, Uncle Bucky," Sarah said as she wrapped her left arm around his side. "Are you coming to dinner with us tonight? We're celebrating school being done for the summer."

Bucky looked from Kayla to Steve and the former nodded so he answered the little girl quickly, "Sure am. It's why I'm here."

"Yes! I want to show you my new PlayStation 6. We can play racing games together. We have time, right Dad?" James sputtered quickly, turning to his father with pleading eyes. Steve looked to Kayla, who nodded again, giving her husband permission to let their son play.

"Yeah, go for it. I'll be there in a few."

James scrambled up the stairs quickly with Bucky lumbering behind, leaving Sarah with the two women and her father. "I, uh, better get started on my summer reading list."

"You've been out of school for an hour, no homework yet. Why don't you show Aunt Tessa what you drew in Sunday school last week," Kayla suggested instead, nodding toward the stairs. Sarah nodded quickly, grabbing Tessa by the hand and leading her slowly up the stairs to her bedroom.

Once alone, Kayla turned to Steve with fire in her eyes, "You know why he's here."

"I know. He's going to ask me to come back with him."

"You can't do it. Please. Things have been so good recently. It took weeks for me to sleep, even with you by my side. I saw Schmidt everywhere... I'll go mad if you're gone. And the kids... I don't want them to grow up without their father." Kayla whined, grabbing Steve's hands lovingly. "Where you go I go, remember?"

Steve pressed a kiss to Kayla's forehead, his beard tickling her pale skin, "I know. I'm not going anywhere without you."


	54. Chapter 54

Kayla drove her minivan to a steakhouse at the edge of town with Tessa sitting shotgun, Steve and Bucky sitting together in the second row, and her kids sitting in the very back. "We're here!" Kayla called over Steve and Bucky's loud chatter, hitting a button on her door to open up the sliding door to Bucky's right. As everyone scrambled out of the back, Kayla smoothed down her blue blouse and looked up at Tessa under her lashes. "Every time your boyfriend comes around I suddenly have four children instead of two."

"Oh, he's... not my boyfriend." Tessa stuttered as she crossed in front of the hood to stand beside her friend. "I mean, we haven't really talked about being exclusive since he's been back. When I saw him before Christmas he told me I shouldn't wait for him."

"Mmm?" Kayla hummed thoughtfully, but the knowing look in her eyes told Tessa she wasn't surprised by this turn of events. "And did you? Move on?"

"I tried. Haven't found anyone." Tessa admitted, even though Kayla knew full well that Tessa had been on several dates since Christmas. "Let's not talk about this now. Tonight's about the kids and having everyone together."

Kayla nodded, hearing Sarah slam the van's door closed. "You're right. Let's not ruin it. It's a rare thing to have all the family together."

Tessa's lip quirked up at the side from Kayla's words, "Family?"

"Obviously. You're Aunt Tess, aren't you?" Kayla winked as she walked backward toward the restaurant behind her children, leaving the brunette to smile to herself by the van. It had been a long time since she'd had a family.

Steve looked to Kayla as the restaurant manager led them to a private room, "Here's your room Mrs. Carter. We understand that Miss Potts requires her own security, so Mr. Hogan will be taking care of you this evening." The woman nodded and gestured toward the doors where Happy stood, offering Kayla a hug when she approached.

"I didn't realize Pepper and Morgan were coming," Steve said evenly, nodding to Happy as he opened the door to the private room.

Kayla smiled to their friends and hissed through clenched teeth, "If I'd told you _he _was coming, then Bucky wouldn't have come and you would have been in a mood."

As Tessa entered the restaurant, she found Bucky standing in the doorway of a private room, finding the man rigid as he stared ahead at their table. "You okay?" She asked cautiously, looking around the assassin to see the man sitting at the head of their table, "Oh."

"What's wrong, Bucket? The gang's all here!" Tony called as he leaned against the table with Pepper and Morgan on either side. He gave Bucky and Tessa a perfect smile, gesturing toward the seats across from him. "Miss Davis, always a pleasure."

"Nice to see you again," Tessa answered quietly, refraining from calling him by his name because she still wasn't completely caught up on who Kayla's kids thought "Uncle Tony" was. She was also surprised he'd come out in public. Leaning over to Kayla she whispered, "Shouldn't he be hiding or something?"

"We rented the back room. Happy's going to be taking care of the serving," Kayla mumbled under her breath. She smiled at the billionaire's wife as she sat stoically, looking around as she waite for something to go wrong and someone to recognize her husband. Tessa nodded and didn't press it any longer, hearing the door to the private room close behind her.

Sarah somehow managed to beat her brother to the spot beside Morgan, earning a glare from James as he pulled out the chair next to his sister so he could join in the conversation with the twelve-year-old Stark. "Are you so excited for summer Morgan? Maybe we can come to visit you guys out at the lake! Or you could come to our house! You've never been to our house, but yours is more fun," James rambled as he leaned over his sister. Sarah rolled her eyes and leaned back, allowing her brother his moment with the older girl.

Morgan smirked, pushing her straight brown hair behind her ear before answering carefully, "Perhaps. Dad wants to take Mom and I traveling. Maybe we can travel to your house."

"That wasn't what I meant," Tony interrupted, causing his daughter to chuckle knowingly and looked over her shoulder at her father. "I want to show you the world beyond the lake. I'm just not sure it's safe right now."

"Yeah, with all the attacks from Hydra, Dad's been even more paranoid than usual," Morgan droned, turning back to the younger children who just stared at her with intrigued eyes. She nodded a little, realizing she was a little more advanced than her friends, "Maybe next year."

"Listen, the Avengers are on this. They are going to eliminate the threat and we'll check out every corner of the world. Anywhere you want to go, Squirt." Tony assured his daughter as Pepper smiled down at the menu. Kayla sat beside the strawberry blonde, noticing she was awfully quiet compared to her husband and daughter, but knowing Tony and Morgan, Kayla was sure this was the norm at their household.

Bucky grabbed Tessa's hand and caressed it gently, causing the brunette to smile over at him kindly. He was engrossed in the menu, but his drawn brows told Tessa he wasn't worried about what kind of steak to order. "You okay?" Tessa prodded, squeezing his hand a little as she tilted her head to get a better look at his face. He looked up and nodded silently, his nervous eyes telling her he wasn't ready for what he'd come to do. Tessa sighed, leaning back into her seat but holding his hand to soothe his nerves.

After a few minutes, Bucky cleared his throat, catching the attention of the blonde man next to him, "So, Steve, I, uh, I have a proposition for you."

Steve's eyes widened in panic, shaking his head to warn Bucky to stop, "Not here Buck."

"No, no it's okay. I have this business venture that I was hoping you'd consider."

Tessa tilted her head curiously as Steve narrowed his blue eyes, piercing into his best friend as he waited for the truth to come out, "I have a job. A good job."

"You could own your own business," Bucky informed his best friend as Kayla's back stiffened, knowing eventually this would end up with Bucky asking Steve to come away with him. "I'd like to go into business with you. See there's a conference happening. For construction." Bucky clarified, looking past Steve to Kayla, who glared at him wickedly. Bucky lowered his chin submissively, scratching his scruff as he continued, "It's a summer abroad, moving from city to city meeting with some of the most distinguished builders in the world. I think you and I could do really well together. As a team."

"I'm not going to leave my family all summer, Buck. Even if it sounds like a very exciting opportunity." Steve choked out, and Kayla sighed a little at the longing in his voice. He was determined to stay away from the Avengers. But they were having all the fun without him.

"That's the best part!" Bucky exclaimed, causing Tony to raise his brow curiously as he held back a chuckle at the Winter Soldier's nervousness. Bucky smiled grandly at Kayla beyond Steve, "It's not just an opportunity for you and me, it's a great opportunity for Katie, too."

This time Kayla raised her chin defiantly, curious to see where this proposal was going, even if she'd already made up her mind that her husband was going to say no. "I'm listening."

Bucky nodded, feeling the pressure of having the former First Avenger and his wife on the line, "I think you could run the business side of things. The three of us, we could really go far. Think about it. It would be a wonderful opportunity, and you could set your own hours as the kids grow up. And after the conference, I'd settle down here." Bucky turned to Tessa, still holding his hand, "I'd come home for good to make sure everything runs smoothly."

Steve turned to Kayla, who gnawed her molars behind pursed lips, mulling over the proposal. James and Sarah looked between their parents, then to Morgan, "Maybe we can live with you for the summer?"

"Oh, no, that wouldn't be necessary!" Bucky exclaimed again, causing Steve to turn back to his friend, "Tessa's offered to come with to watch the kids while we are at the conference. That way you guys won't be apart, but they'll sightsee. You know, culture and stuff."

Kayla looked toward Tessa and the brunette just shrugged nervously as she smiled through clenched teeth. She didn't want to endure the wrath of the famous Kayla Ellis for dragging her family into this. But then again, Steve _almost_ seemed happy with the arrangement. "I've taken on a lot more help at the Brewhouse lately, including an in-house manager. I could take a few months off and take care of business from anywhere."

Bucky could cut the tension at the table with his knife as Happy brought their drinks and took their food orders, looking less than thrilled that he'd been reduced to a waiter, even if only for an evening. Kayla's eyes bore into Bucky, and he was sure he'd explode the moment she opened her mouth to address him. Once Happy was gone, he smiled meekly and offered more deals, "Tony, you could always join in too. You have a little business experience don't you?"

Tony scoffed and Morgan swallowed down her laugh with a chug of water, knowing full well that Bucky Barnes was baiting her billionaire father, "Yeah, little bit. I'm not interested though. I'm retired. Staying home. Staying away from all the fighting. Europe is a hotbed for Hydra activity right now. I don't want my wife and daughter anywhere near that." Tony looked toward Steve, daring the soldier to follow his best friend's lead.

"I'm sure Tessa can make sure the kids are safe. Worst case scenario they get a summer of swimming in the hotel and working on their summer reading list. Maybe even some online studies. It would be a wonderful opportunity for them to see the world at such a young age. I would have loved it." Steve defended to his wife, who's jaw broke open in amazement. As quickly as it came unhinged, Kayla slammed her jaw shut, turning on her husband.

"Steven. A word."

She pushed away from her seat and led her husband toward the doors to talk in private while Bucky drained all his water under the smug gaze of Tony Stark.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Steve, we said no fighting. _You _said no more fighting. If you had asked me eight months ago, I would have jumped on the chance, but things have been really really good. We've gotten into a routine. We've both been there fully for the kids. I want to help them too, I really do, but Tony's right, we have no business dragging our children into a warzone." Kayla hissed, looking over her shoulder as Sarah coughed a little on her water, telling everyone she was fine.

Steve looked over his wife's head as Morgan rubbed Sarah's back, smiling down at the girl. He rocked back and forth a little, mulling over their options. "But lots of people have kids, Kay. And their parents are being recruited by Hydra. The mind-melding drug is on the rise. Those who resist are being killed. How can we sit back and let that happen?"

"Our kids don't deserve to be orphans either." Kayla growled, grabbing Steve's face and pulling it to look at her, "Steve... what if something happens to us?"

"If anything happens to us, they have so many people who love them and will take care of them. They have a family to look after them. But that's beside the point because nothing is going to happen to us. I swear on my life, if we do this, we get out alive."

"That... seems contradictory." Kayla droned, crossing her arms over her blue shirt, "Bucky. Get over here."

"Ooooohhhh." The kids teased in unison as Bucky was summoned by their mother. "Uncle Bucky's in trouble." James sing-songed as Tessa released the man's hand, allowing him to face down the fuming Kayla.

When Bucky was standing in front of her, Kayla lifted her chin to look up at the soldier, "So we'd be joining the Avengers?"

"No. We'd be a stealth team. The three of us. Sam and the others would draw away The Enchantress's attention while we take out her sources behind her back. Quiet work. We'll leave the big guns to the team." Bucky explained candidly, looking from Kayla to her husband, "Then you can keep your cover intact. Only Sam will know for sure who I'm working with. I'll tell the others you are comrades from my time within Hydra. We put a lot of thought into this. It's as safe as it can be."

Kayla looked to her husband, seeing the excitement in his blue eyes. He wanted to go. She gave him a firm nod, saying more in that action than any words ever could. Steve beamed at her, then turned to his best friend. "We're in."


	55. Chapter 55

"But Moooom, I don't want to go to Europe. I was gonna hang out with my friends and play video games all summer. Now I have to study? And _read?_" James moaned as he leaned his forehead against the wall. The eight-year-old was being extremely dramatic about his summer plans being snatched away in favor of an 'educational' vacation with his family. His voice came muffled from the wall as he added, "This is so lame."

"Get your face off the wall and help me pack! What do you want to take?" Kayla ordered with a snap of her fingers from her seated place on James' bed. "I'm only packing sweater vests unless you tell me otherwise."

"No, I'll look like a loser. The only good thing about this trip is that my social media presence can thrive in the glow of famous landmarks."

Kayla lifted her head from the pair of shorts she was packing to look at her young son. "No. Absolutely not. How do you have a social media presence? You don't even have a phone."

"I created an Instagram on my tablet. Zawadi's account has over three thousand followers. I'm surprised you haven't heard of Zaddi the Ridgeback." James shrugged, yanking several t-shirts from his closet to pass to his mom. "I want my own phone."

"No. And why is my dog Instagram famous?" Kayla asked dully, leaning her head to the side in annoyance as James sat the pile of clothes on her lap.

"Because people love dogs. I'm slowly working my way up to having my own account, but Dad said no. So I just post photos of Zaddi." James shrugged, pulling a pair of Nikes from his closet. "Seriously, you haven't heard of Zaddi the Ridgeback?"

"I'm going to have a long talk with your father about your computer usage. This trip is not for you to get internet famous." Kayla scolded, folding up the shirts before adding, "This is really important for your father and Uncle Bucky. No phones. Ipads are only for homework, alright?"

"It's summer, I shouldn't have to do homework," James grumbled as he crossed his arms, sitting on his bed beside his mother. She wrapped her arm around her son and hugged him tightly, giving him a strong squeeze that his sister wouldn't have been able to endure.

"I love you, you know that?" Kayla asked as she pressed a kiss to her son's head. "I love you and Sarah so, so much and the only reason your father decided to go into business with Uncle Bucky is because it'll make a better life for you and your sister. This summer will be fun. Full of adventures." The auburn-haired Kayla reached behind her back and pulled out an old film camera. "Just because something's old doesn't mean it isn't still good. I found this at a thrift store last week, thought it might be fun for you. I'll have Uncle Tony develop the film when we get back from our trip."

James flipped the camera over, studying it carefully, "Wouldn't it be easier to buy me a cell phone?"

Kayla shrugged, bopping her head from side to side, "Maybe. But that's not nearly as much fun. For me." Kayla chuckled, patting James on the back. "I'm gonna go help your sister. Zip up your suitcase and take it downstairs, please."

James slung the camera strap around his neck, looking down at it with curious green eyes. "Sure thing, Mom."

Kayla walked through the connecting bathroom into Sarah's sky blue bedroom, finding her daughter rifling through her dresser drawers for outfits. Sarah looked over her shoulder when her mother entered, offering a sweet smile, "Hey Mom. I'm almost done packing."

"Yeah, do you have enough clothes for ten weeks?" Kayla asked, peeking into the almost empty suitcase. "I think you could use a little help."

Sarah grinned, plopping several shirts onto the bed beside her suitcase. "I wouldn't say no."

"Are you excited about this summer?" Kayla asked easily as she looked through her daughter's closet. "Get out and see the world. Hang out with Aunt Tess and your brother."

Sarah looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, "Sounds like a dream, Mom. Yeah, I guess I'm excited. James said that I've been nominated to be his Instagram photographer all summer."

"Well, that's not happening. Zawadi's fifteen minutes of fame are over. I think this will be good for you and your brother. You're so... sheltered here. There's such a big world out there! I want you to experience it. Your father and I both got to travel when we were younger. I want that for you too." Kayla brought a heap of rompers to the bed and deposited them before brushing back Sarah's shoulder-length blonde hair. "What do you want to see?"

"The Louvre." Sarah hummed nonchalantly, catching her mother's attention. Sarah shrugged, "I've heard it's interesting."

"Well, it's on the list!" Kayla bopped Sarah on the nose, then continued to pull the clothes off the hangers. "Think you can finish up. I need to check on your father. You and your brother are much better at packing than your dad." Kayla winked and left the pile of clothes for her daughter to finish up alone.

Crossing the hall, Kayla wandered into the master bedroom, finding it empty aside from Zawadi resting on the bed with sad eyes looking up at her. "Hey, handsome. Where's Daddy?"

"Is he doing something cute? I need a new Instagram post!" James called from his room, easily hearing his mother's cooing with his super-hearing.

"No. No, you don't, finish packing!" Kayla yelled back loudly, turning to Zawadi with her hands on her hips. "You're a superstar, apparently. Hopefully, your legion of followers don't notice how you look so handsome after thirteen years." Kayla pressed a kiss to the dog's large snout, emitting a low whine from his mouth. "I know, I know, you're sad you don't get to come have adventures in Europe, but Tessa is already going to have her hands full with the two little hooligans. But you'll have tons of fun with Tony and your pups. You'll have to play nice though, they're getting old." Kayla scratched Zaddi behind the ears and moved around the king-sized bed to look for her husband. "Steve?"

Kayla peeked into the bathroom, finding it empty. The suitcase was full, but Steve was nowhere to be found. She ran her fingers along the casual clothes packed away, feeling a tinge of excitement burning in her chest. The promise of adventures beside Steve Rogers once again.

The woman's eyes rose to the ceiling as the sound of heavy footsteps clunked above her from the attic.

Steve Rogers looked around the attic of his home at the relics that lived there. It was the one place that was truly his, somewhere his kids weren't allowed and couldn't get to. He had his sketchpad set up facing away from the window, so he could come up and paint alone with the natural light streaming onto his canvas. Inside a dark wooden wardrobe hung his Captain America uniforms, with his shattered shield sitting below them. Kayla's blue stealth suit was displayed next to the open wardrobe to the left of Steve's chair. The afternoon sun was filtering through the windows, but they were dusty after not being cleaned for several months. The attic hadn't seen much of Steve Rogers since the incident in Seattle.

The man now sat in his chair with his pencil in his mouth, using his finger to smear the pencil markings on the paper just the way he wanted them. He was vaguely aware of Kayla climbing the stairs from their walk-in closet to join him in the attic. Steve's mind was focused on his drawing.

"What are you working on?" Kayla asked nonchalantly as she pulled the stairs up behind her, effectively making sure their kids couldn't follow her. She wiped her hands on her jeans and looked around the dusty attic around her husband, "How long have you been up here?"

"An hour." Steve mumbled through the pencil before grabbing it with his hand and looking at his watch, "Maybe three."

"How's it coming?" Kayla inquired as she approached, peering past the drawing pad to see Steve's determined expression as he added more lines to his drawing. His wife wrapped her arms around Steve and leaned in to watch him draw. "Ahhh, someone's feeling nostalgic."

Steve continued to sketch away at the drawing of his shield, whole again in black and white. He shaded away at the stripes around the star, his lips curving up into a small smile. "Maybe a little. I'm not going out there as him though. I don't know who I'm fighting as."

"I fought by your side for years with no name. You don't need an identity to do what's right. Now, if you're done being sentimental about something long gone, I've already packed our new suits out of sight. Nano-tech from Stark. Just bring the underclothes. We've got to get moving darling." Kayla pressed a firm kiss to Steve's cheekbone, letting her fingers trail along his shoulder for a moment as she walked away, looking back over her shoulder at the broken shield.

Alone, Steve pressed his pencil to his lips, staring at the broken shield, still covered in dust and blood from fighting Thanos and his army. The end of Captain America. Well, the end of his tenure as Captain America. He ripped the drawing from his pad, discarding it bitterly on the floor as he looked out the window, seeing his wife carrying the kid's suitcases in each hand to the car. He had to go.

* * *

"I've never been on a plane before!"

"Please, Sarah, stop touching everything. I don't want you to get sick." Kayla grumbled as she held her daughter's hand in the airport security line. "James, James make sure your tablet is out of your backpack. Steve? Steve, do you have our passports?"

"Here." Steve stretched around James to hand his wife their passports as he held his son's shoulder, keeping him focused as he dug into his backpack for his tablet. "You heard from Tessa?"

"They flew out yesterday darling, they're meeting us there." Kayla sighed, finally reaching the ticket counter with her family's passports and tickets. "Hi. Sorry, first-time fliers here." Kayla chuckled nervously to the security guard checking her passport for validity. There was no way to explain a quinjet, so the Carters were flying coach.

The guard looked Kayla up and down, scrunching her nose as she studied the photo. "Kathryn Maria Carter. You look familiar, you know."

"I get that a lot. Common features." Kayla shrugged off the assumption as Sarah looked up at her mom nervously.

The guard nodded staring at the children's passports, "You don't have freckles. I take it you're a blonde like your kids?"

"They get the blonde from their father- Steven." Kayla gestured back to Steve, who adjusted his glasses and smiled. The woman nodded amicably toward Steve, studying his license and passport alongside his wife's. Kayla waited patiently, tapping her foot against the carpet at the base of the podium as the woman investigated her family. "Is there a problem?"

"No problem. Everything checks out. Have a nice flight, Mrs. Carter." The woman handed Kayla back the passports with a professional grin. Steve shuffled the kids forward into the security checkpoint as Kayla brought up the rear, looking over her shoulder as the security guard did the same, meeting her gaze.

James looked all around as he entered the security scanner, "This is SO WILD! Can you see inside me? Can you see my guts?" James hollered at the security tech watching him. The man groaned and hit the button, allowing James to come out on the other side of the tube. "What did you see inside me?"

"Your bones and no weapons. Next!" The man called toward Kayla while Steve wrangled his son who bumped into the conveyer belt to grab his backpack, inadvertently bending it when he leaned too far to get his sister's bag.

Steve's eyes widened, smiling widely at the security team as he led his son away, "James, sit. Stay. Wait for your mother. I'm going to see where our gate is." Steve wandered off, leaving his two kids on a seat by themselves in the LaGuardia Airport.

"I'm hungry," James whined, leaning over his sister to look toward the food court. "Want to go get food?"

"We have to wait for Mom. Your stomach can wait for a few minutes." Sarah grunted, pushing her brother away roughly. "Mom's almost back."

"You're no fun." James crossed his arms and pouted, side-eyeing his sister as Kayla arrived, looking at her cell phone.

"Come on, we've got to go, where's your father?" Kayla asked, looking around before rolling her eyes. James pulled on her jean jacket, trying to get her attention. When she looked down at her son, he opened his mouth wide and pointed inside it. He made a gagging sound, signaling that he was hungry. "Alright, let's get food. I'm sure that's where your father is anyway. I don't know who eats more, you or him."


	56. Chapter 56

James came barreling into the hotel in Rome, skidding to a stop in front of the concierge desk. He pulled off his father's massive aviator sunglasses that he'd stolen, staring up at the Italian woman manning the desk, "Carter. James Carter."

"Mi Scusi?" The woman asked in surprise as she leaned over the desk, staring at the blonde boy in front of her. He ran his hand through his shaggy hair and winked at her.

Steve came charging through the hotel doors after his son, looking around frantically until he saw the eight-year-old bothering the foreign woman. "James!"

James's eyes grew wide at the woman. He turned around to face his father, finding the burly man adjusting his glasses with one hand while pointing to the floor next to him, beckoning his son. "Busted."

"Yeah, yeah, you're busted. I heard that. Get over here." Steve mumbled, gesturing with his index finger for his son to come to him. He grabbed the boy's shoulder firmly, guiding him to the hotel elevator where Kayla and Sarah were waiting with the luggage.

"Where were you? You can't run off like that!" Kayla barked down at the boy as he stood between her and his father. They waited for the elevator in silence, James bopping his head back and forth nonchalantly. "James?"

"I thought this summer was for adventures?"

"You're eight. Have adventures with your babysitter. If I hear from Tessa that you're wandering off, you're going to be in a world of trouble." Kayla warned as the elevator doors opened, allowing the family in to take them to the fifth floor where Bucky and Tessa were already waiting in their adjoining rooms.

Kayla led the way out of the elevator, looking at her phone for the room number. Sarah grabbed her father's hand and swung it back and forth, looking up at him happily. "I'm happy to be here. I'll be good. I promise."

"I know you will honey. And I know your brother will be good for Aunt Tessa too." Steve told her as his eyes darted to his other side where James was picking at his nails. "Right James?"

A long sigh was followed by James groaning, "Whatever you say, Father."

Steve narrowed his gaze on his son as Kayla stopped in front of the door, looking at her phone one more time to make sure they had the right room before knocking. Kayla looked around, taking in her surroundings and all the ways they could escape if need be.

Suddenly the door flew open, revealing Bucky in nothing but a white towel. "Hey, guys! Come on in!"

"Uh, thanks." Kayla stuttered, ushering her two children into the master suite. Bucky grabbed a set of keys from the tv stand and handed them to Kayla before gesturing to the adjoining room with two full beds. Kayla peeked in, then looked over her shoulder at Bucky, "What, you get the master suite?"

"Yes. Unless you four want to all sleep together."

Kayla nodded, "Touche. Where's Tess?"

Bucky smirked, placing his hands on his hips as Steve doubled back into his best friend's room after situating the kids and suitcases in their side. Steve waited patiently, already having a pretty good idea of what Bucky's answer would be. The Winter Soldier ran his hand through his long wet hair and nodded toward the bathroom, "She's taking a shower. It's hot here in Italy."

"We're aware. We too are in Italy." Kayla snorted in response, rolling her eyes and heading into the adjoining room, closing the door loudly to allow some privacy for Steve and Bucky to talk about their first mission.

Bucky turned to Steve with a smug grin on his face and Steve just sighed in response, opening his mouth to say something before being cut off by Tessa emerging from the bathroom in a loosely-tied towel. "Hey, I know you've got to get going, but maybe we can finish- Steve!" Tessa quickly tightened the towel around herself when she saw Steve Rogers standing next to Bucky in their suite. Steve quickly averted his eyes as Tessa turned twelve shades of red, scampering back into the bathroom at lightning speed. Moments after the bathroom door shut, a crashing sound was heard inside.

"You okay babe?" Bucky called casually through the door, taking a few steps closer in case she needed him.

"I'm alright. Maybe you could grab me some clothes?"

Steve kept his head down, but his shit-eating grin reached his eyes as he struggled to contain his laughter. He could feel some payback for Bucky's teasing after his wedding night coming on. Barnes turned to Steve, pointing at him threateningly as he saw his best friend's expression, "Not a word from you Rogers."

"Carter. My last name is Carter. Don't blow my cover with my kids." Steve teased, but the sincerity in his voice shone through. "Now about the mission."

Bucky unzipped Tessa's large purple suitcase, grabbing out a romper for his girl. He gently knocked on the bathroom door and passed off the clothes through the crack Tessa created in the doorway. Before she closed it though, she requested two more things from Bucky, and he gently closed the door before wandering through the hotel room casually. "Vito Contini. He's been spearheading Hydra's medicinal department since the death of his predecessor in Seattle last year." Bucky scooped down and collected Tessa's matching red bra and underwear from beside the king-sized bed. "He's the one creating the mind mush pill that Hydra's been using to get people to join. There's little chance he's under the influence of his own work, but we can't be sure."

Steve's brow quirked at Bucky as he delivered the undergarments to the bathroom door. "That makes things complicated. How do we know if they are being controlled or not?"

"We don't," Bucky answered as the door slammed closed again, Tessa finally getting ready for the afternoon. Bucky turned his full attention to Steve now, "At this point, we don't have the luxury to find out. If they are Hydra, we have to eliminate them."

Steve slowly lowered himself into the brown chair next to a desk across the room from Bucky, tapping his fingers anxiously on the desk as he stared at his best friend. "Buck, we can't just go killing innocent people..."

"It's too late Steve. It's kill or be killed. Hydra is too powerful. The Enchantress enhances the agents for combat. I asked you here to help me destroy Hydra, not save those who Hydra has taken." Bucky argued quietly, knowing full well the walls between this room and the kid's room were not soundproof. He and Tessa had tested it.

Steve raised his chin to look up at Bucky fully, his blue eyes full of determination, "If I'd believed that, I never would have saved you. Even when Sam said you couldn't be saved, I made a different call because I knew it wasn't your fault. I knew that you didn't have control. I can't in good conscience kill innocent people because Hydra is controlling them. Just like they controlled you."

Bucky groaned and rubbed his temples, looking toward the room next door, "If you can incapacitate Contini, you can see if he has an antidote to the mind control drug. If you can't, he gets a bullet in the head. We're here to fight Hydra, not save it. They killed T'Challa and everyone in Wakanda. The Enchantress led Hydra into the most advanced civilization in the world and slaughtered them in under an hour. You think you can talk your way out of this one? They killed Natasha, Steve." Bucky rubbed his teeth together as he heard laughter from the room next door, "Kayla won't think twice to do what needs to be done. Perhaps you should stop trying to be Captain America and do the same. I didn't bring you here to be righteous, I asked you here to get the job done."

Steve stood quickly and stormed away from Bucky Barnes, knocking loudly on the connecting door for Kayla to allow him into their room. Kayla swung the door open for Steve to see James and Sarah jumping on the beds while laughing loudly. Kayla had a beaming smile that fell when she saw Steve's angry expression, "Steve?"

"Careful guys, I don't want you to get hurt," Steve called to his children, ignoring his wife's worry about his sour mood. James jumped and landed on his butt, causing a cracking sound to emanate from the wooden boards beneath the mattress. He winced, staring at his parents nervously before sliding off the bed and sitting obediently in the brown chair near their desk. Steve turned to Kayla, giving the redhead an 'I told you so' look, but Kayla just shrugged it off and traded places with Steve to go talk with Bucky.

"Did I break it?" James asked sheepishly as Steve inspected the damage to the frame of the bed. Steve leaned against the mattress, finding it secure, even if there were now deep cracks in the wood below.

"Yeah, but it'll be fine. You two are sleeping in this bed though. Sarah, enough jumping, please." Steve begged his daughter, and she gave one more bounce, then jumped to the kids' bed. She lost her footing and fell forward, landing face-first into the soft sheets as she giggled wildly. Steve's panic grew as he scooped her upright and set her on the ground, "Please be careful, Sarah. I don't know what I would do if you got hurt." The large man wrapped his massive hand around his daughter's back, pulling her into his side lovingly.

James scowled and crossed his arms in a huff, "What about me? What if something happens to me?"

Steve grinned at his son and reached over, messing up his hair, "You're my little tank. You're so strong and brave and I know you'll be safe. Nothing can hurt my James."

The young boy seemed happy with Steve's answer, his bitter scowl molding into a proud smile knowing his father thought so highly of him. Sarah twisted her face thoughtfully, considering her dad's words. He thought James was strong and brave but he knew she was weak and scared. It hurt her feelings, despite how much he wanted to protect her.

Tessa emerged from her bedroom fully dressed and ready to go out. She forced an amiable grin toward Steve, fighting back the blush that crept into her cheeks when she thought about him seeing her in a towel. "So, you kids ready to go explore? We've got a big day planned! We're going to go to the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon, and tomorrow we'll go to the Colosseum..."

"So we're going to a bunch of old buildings?" James moaned, turning to his father expectantly, "Can't we stay in the hotel and go swimming?"

"You can go swimming after you've seen the Pantheon and after you've read at least thirty pages of summer reading." Steve informed his son, placing his hands on his hips defensively.

"Thirty pages! That's like, like half a book! That's ridiculous! Where's Mom? Mom won't make me read thirty pages!"

"Umm, yes she will." Kayla scoffed from the adjoining doorway. "Listen to your father. And listen to Aunt Tessa. Your Dad and I need to join Uncle Bucky for the opening night conference. We'll probably be late. If I get so much as a text saying you're mouthing off, your tablet is going in the safe until we leave Italy. Do I make myself clear?"

James rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, but Kayla waited patiently, knowing her son would obey her, "Yes."

"Yes, who?" Kayla demanded coldly, but her green eyes twinkled mischievously at her son's defiance.

"Yes, ma'am." James exhaled loudly. The boy turned his attention to Tessa, "So when do we go see the old buildings?"

"As soon as you put your shoes back on. Come on, it won't be all boring, I promise." Tessa assured the child as she nodded toward the entrance to the hotel room. James grabbed his tennis shoes and pulled them on, then turned to his sister expectantly as she struggled to tie her laces. She'd hopped up on the bed with one thin leg dangling while she worked on adjusting the opposite shoe.

After getting the loops just right, she looked to her father with big blue eyes and a pouted lip, "Daddy, will you double knot them for me?"

"Double knotting is the easiest part! You can double knot your own shoes!" James yelped from the doorway, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation. "Come on Sarah, hurry up, the sooner we see the boring stuff the sooner we can swim!"

Steve ignored his son's dramatic cries and knelt down to double knot his daughter's shoes, taking extra care to go slow so she could watch what he did. "There. All set. Be good for Auntie Tess okay? Keep your brother out of trouble."

"I will Dad. Love you." Sarah leaned forward and gave Steve a kiss on the cheek as she slid off the bed. "Love you, Mom. Have fun at work!"

"Be good kids. Love you too!" Kayla called as Tessa ushered them out the door, throwing Bucky a nervous grimace before closing it. Kayla turned to the two men, placing her hands on her hips proudly as her motherly nature fell away into something more sinister, "So where's the target now?"

* * *

"The Trevi Fountain is twenty-six meters tall and forty-nine meters wide."

"What's a meter?" Sarah whispered quietly to her brother, who just shrugged in response.

"Beats me."

Tessa read off the guidebook dully, finding _herself_ boring as she listed facts about the fountain. "...work began in 1732 and was completed in 1762..."

James nudged Sarah in the side, earning a glare from the young blonde. She followed the direction of where he was pointing, seeing several people walking out of a shop with gelato in their hands. Sarah turned back to her brother and hissed incredulously, "You're hungry again?"

"It's ice cream. _Italian_ ice cream. Sounds like culture to me." James whispered back loudly, catching Tessa's attention away from the book. Both children stood up straight and stared ahead, pretending to be focused on the Trevi Fountain. After a moment of studying them, Tessa went back to her reading aloud, giving the kids a chance to speak again. "Come on Sarah, live a little."

"No."

James threw his head back in frustration, groaning at the sky. He wasn't allowed to do anything fun. "Aunt Tessa?" James finally asked, approaching his desire for food from a different direction. Tessa stopped reading the book and looked down at James, less than a foot shorter than her. James gave her his best million-dollar smile, channeling the way his mother would use hers to get what she wanted, "Aunt Tess, could we get some ice cream? It looks like all the Italian people are eating ice cream. It must be the local thing to do here." He pointed toward the gelato shop and Tessa looked up, noticing how the sign was in English and everyone around the shop were tourists.

Tessa saw through the boy's ploy to get his way and wanted to tell him so, but a slight rumble in her stomach made her reconsider. "Gelato in Rome does sound pretty good doesn't it?"

"When in Rome, am I right?" James threw his arms to the side, gesturing around himself as Sarah crossed her arms, seeing her brother's plan unfold perfectly.

Tessa considered the child's words seriously. She was in _Rome. _She hooked up with a hot assassin in _Rome. _She didn't need to be bored to death with history and museums and guidebooks. Tessa considered the repercussions of ignoring Steve's planned itinerary and having some fun. James and Sarah wouldn't tattle on her. "Gelato it is!" Tessa exclaimed quickly. James started walking toward the shop, but she stopped him, "Wait! Before we go..." Tessa dug into her cross-body purse and pulled out three quarters, handing them to Sarah and James and keeping one for herself. "Legend says if you toss a coin into the Trevi Fountain, then you'll return to Rome someday."

"I don't want to return to this boring place."

Tessa and Sarah hushed James in unison, the former watching Tessa intently. Tessa looked down at the little girl and positioned herself with her back to the fountain, her hair blowing in the slight summer breeze, "Turn around. Hold the coin in your right hand. Then throw it over your left shoulder into the fountain."

James sighed and stood on the other side of Tessa, turning around so he was facing away from the fountain like his aunt and sister. Sarah beamed as she prepared to toss her coin, "One... two... three!"

The sound of three little plops echoed behind them, and Tessa, Sarah, and James turned to see their quarters sinking to the bottom. "I've always wanted to do that." Tessa admitted quietly with a grin on her face, "Come on, let's get some ice cream."


	57. Chapter 57

"Alright, so here's how this is gonna work-" Tessa mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate gelato. She took a moment to enjoy the flavor before swallowing the dessert, "Every day, we're gonna do one thing on your dad's itinerary. After that, we each get to pick something we want to do. James wanted gelato. I wanted to throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain. Sarah gets to pick where she wants to go. That way we aren't doing all boring history stuff all day long. We can have real adventures, but I need you two to work with me okay?"

James took a long lick of his chocolate hazelnut gelato straight from the cup, "I understand and agree to these terms. What say you, Sarah?"

Sarah looked between James and Tessa, considering her options, "Will Mom and Dad be mad that we aren't following directions?"

"If they are mad they can blame it on me." Tessa offered, stealing a bite of Sarah's vanilla chocolate chip gelato that she wasn't eating, "You two don't have to worry about anything. It's going to be a long summer if you're bored out of your minds. We sightsee and have fun, and still have time for summer reading and swimming."

Sarah poked at her Italian ice cream, "I would love to go swimming. And take pictures using James's old camera."

James rolled his eyes and moaned, pulling the vintage camera off his neck and handing it to Sarah. He then turned to Tessa with that smile that told her he wanted something, "Can I use your phone to post photos on my Instagram?"

"You have an Instagram?" Tessa's brow rose curiously as she took another bite.

"Well, Zawadi has an Instagram, but I run it. Zaddi the Ridgeback. He's kind of a big deal."

"Sorry, I'm not big on social media." Tessa chuckled, stealing another bite of Sarah's gelato. "If it's an account of your dog, why would you want to take photos here in Rome without him?"

"I'm slowly but surely breaking into the internet myself. I call it: Adventures with Zaddi's Man James!" The boy spread his hands out in front of him, as if he was seeing his vision before his eyes. Tessa and Sarah shared an unimpressed look at his antics.

"You're a little young to be on Instagram, don't you think? Besides, I'm not sure your parents want your face out on the internet for everyone to see." Tessa warned, giving the child a good look. As the years passed, he'd lost his baby fat, and was lean. His face had slimmed down, and he looked terribly similar to the legendary Captain Steven Rogers. Tessa worried that even if Steve somehow managed to disguise himself, his son would be a dead ringer for Captain America in just a few years.

"Eh. It's fine. Please?" James asked again, but Tessa just shook her head lightly, telling the boy no. James scooped up the rest of his gelato and inhaled it in one gulp. "Fine, no internet stardom. Sarah, what do you want to see?"

Sarah looked between Tessa and James, then shrugged shyly, "I was hoping to see the Pantheon. It looks pretty. I could try and draw it."

James's eyes widened and then twitched. "Why?"

Sarah lowered her head and looked up at her brother across from her, "I told you, I want to see it. It looks pretty. I want to draw it."

"You're stupid."

"James!" Tessa shrieked, catching the attention of nearby patrons. She apologized under her breath and turned back to James in a hushed voice, "You can't talk to your sister that way. Apologize."

"I'm sorry I called you stupid, but your logic is still flawed." James mumbled, not backing down from his feelings about the arrangement. He reached across the table to grab his sister's gelato, but she pulled it to her chest, scooping up a big bite to make her point. James then turned to Tessa, batting those big green eyes he inherited from his mother, "Auntie Tess, can I have more gelato? I'm still hungry."

Tessa studied the boy through squinted eyes, debating whether or not to fall into his trap. He was learning too many tricks from his mom.

* * *

"Francis Contini."

The Italian architect looked up at the man saying his name. "Yes? Can I help you?" The slim, dark-haired man watched the American approach slowly. "Who is asking?"

The large man with a dark beard took a step closer, clenching his fists as he shifted his feet back and forth anxiously, "That's not important. What's important is that you tell us where to find your father."

A spark of recognition flashed across Francis's face, and he grabbed onto a hammer nearby as a weapon. "You expect me to sell out my father? You'll never get the chance."

The sound of a gun cocking behind Francis alerted Steve to the man's wife, who slowly approached with a handgun aimed and ready at the intruder. Steve put his hands up in defense, showing he had no weapon, "I don't want any trouble. I just want your dad."

"Family means everything. She'll end your life before I sell you his." The thick Italian accent broke as the man stole a glance at his wife, motioning closer so she could pass off the gun. Her whole body shook, uncomfortable with the weapon and the possibility of using it. "Leave now and I'll let you live."

Steve's heart sunk, not wanting to have to stoop so low, "That's not how this works. I've got a sniper on the roof. He's got eyes on your kids. You shoot me. He shoots them."

The wife let out a sob and Francis took the gun as she started back into the house. He clenched his teeth and snarled at Steve. "You could never."

Steve raised one of his hands just a little more to his ear, "He's got your wife in sight, too. It doesn't have to be this way. Give me a location and everyone walks away. Alive."

Francis studied Steve for a moment, not recognizing the former Captain America beneath the beard and slightly greying hair. He saw through the man's bluff. He laughed. "I'm not sure I believe you. As I said, I will not sell out my father. I'll keep you in this standoff until the police arrive. You claim to have a sniper, but the man before me doesn't have a gun."

As Francis steadied his aim at Steve's chest, a loud shriek was heard from inside his home. No shots had been fired, but his wife was wailing wildly as the front door of his home was thrust open from the inside.

A tall, lean woman with long red hair in a ponytail and a black mask covering her eyes thrust Francis's oldest daughter out into the yard where he'd been working. The woman held her tightly by the back of her shirt, keeping the child in her grasp despite how hard the girl fought.

"Papa please!" The girl wept as the redhead took a step closer to Francis, pulling a gun to the girl's head. The father kept his weapon trained on Steve, but his eyes never left his child.

Kayla stared down their target, eventually glancing at Steve to find him looking absolutely horrified by his wife's actions. She sighed and turned back to Francis, "Your father or your daughter. You have thirty seconds to decide."

"Alright! Alright!" Francis cried out as Kayla leaned the barrel against his child's skull. "He has a lab situated downtown near the Colosseum. He's there morning till night, but security is tight. You'll never get in. Now let her go."

Kayla released the girl and she sprinted toward her father, grasping him desperately as he threw his arm around her. "Thank you. For your cooperation." Kayla nodded away from the yard, telling Steve it was time to go. Steve slowly backed away, but the man double-crossed him and aimed his gun at Steve.

Before he could pull the trigger, a shot rang out and Francis ducked, pulling his daughter down with him. Cowering for a moment, he realized neither of them had been shot. The two mysterious figures were gone.

"Are you out of your mind? A child, Kay?" Steve sneered as they walked away from the scene, hearing police sirens in the distance. "Would you have shot her?"

"Nothing but blanks," Kayla mumbled, popping open the gun to show Steve she had no bullets. "I would have never shot that little girl. I'm offended you even considered I would."

Steve clenched his jaw as he stared ahead, his wife keeping easy pace with him as she watched him carefully. His back was stiff and his fists were clenched, and he seemed more unnerved now than he had when he was about to be shot. "I just don't wanna lose you, Kay."

Kayla nodded a little as she contemplated his words. "You know I would do anything to save you-"

"Not that." Steve cut her off, stopping and grabbing her arm tensely. His lip wobbled as the little girl's traumatized face hung in his mind's eye. The more he thought about her, the more she started to look like Sarah. "Not with the kids."

Kayla looked Steve in the eyes and leaned forward. He bent his head to meet her, pressing their foreheads together lovingly as he breathed her in. "I promise," Kayla muttered, looking up with a sad smile. It left as quickly as it came, though, her green eyes turning dark as she narrowed them, "But for my own kids, I wouldn't think twice to sacrifice someone else's. And nothing will change that."

Kayla had said her peace, as dark as it was, and took the lead. Steve watched her in the black suit, the way it curved around her and moved smoothly with every step. He missed her blonde hair, but her long auburn hair reminded him a little of Natasha. Steve was afraid his wife was slipping- a little less Mrs. America and a little more Black Widow...

Once they reunited with Bucky, Kayla and Steve found a quiet street not far from their hotel. Kayla pulled off her mask first, then tapped the band on her forearm, causing her nano-suit to disappear. Steve did the same, and the plain black suit, no stars or stripes to be seen, vanished into his watch. "Let's go find the kids."

Kayla twisted her lips, practically feeling the disappointment radiate off her husband. Bucky pressed a button on the side of his metal arm, and the vibranium morphed away into a flesh-colored prosthetic. Stark tech combined with Wakandan metal made him a real person again, able to put the weapon away but still feel everything with his fake hand.

Steve led them up to the hotel room, letting his wife and friend in first. They found the room empty. "Tess?" Bucky called as he peeked into their adjoining room. "Nobody's here."

"They should be back by now, we've been gone several hours." Steve turned around, searching for a clue as to why his children weren't back yet. Kayla held up a note casually, waving it toward her husband to get his attention. He took it and read it aloud, half worried they'd found a ransom note, "Finished reading early, heading down for a swim before dinner- Tess."

"Maybe we'll join them!" Bucky chuckled, leaning against the door frame to smile at his friends. "Although it's getting late, we should probably get the kids fed and put to sleep."

"Why don't you go down, see what they want for dinner. We can order room service. Steve and I need to talk." Kayla suggested sweetly. Bucky bowed his head, ducking into his room to head downstairs and collect the kids. Once the door closed, Kayla turned to Steve, "Listen, you wanted to come here. You wanted to fight Hydra, and _you _wanted to end this once and for all. I did what had to be done. Don't act like you've never done things you weren't proud of. Time has made you soft."

"I just don't want to kill people in cold blood and then come home to our kids and act like nothing is wrong," Steve argued as Kayla took a step toward him, reaching for his hand. He yanked it away and she scowled at him under her lashes. Steve realized he'd upset his girl and grabbed her arms. "I love you, Kay. I love you so much. I just don't want you to lose yourself in all this."

"I won't. I promise." Kayla assured Steve as she reached up to press a kiss to his lips. She smiled against him and pulled away, "Let's finish what we started."

Steve bent down to kiss his wife, slowly dropping his hand from her side to her ass. Before the couple could get too carried away in their moment, however, the door swung open and they heard James and Sarah scurrying into the room.

"Mom! Mom! We went swimming, and I was able to hold my breath for ten seconds!" Sarah exclaimed happily as she ran to her mother. Kayla wrapped her arms around the girl and patted her back supportively as she beamed down.

"That's wonderful honey! Did you have fun?"

"I did! I did! I can't wait to go swimming again tomorrow! And we did some of our reading, and we went to the Pantheon and the Fountain and ate gelato! And we made wishes to return to Rome someday!" Sarah rambled off. She held on to her towel tightly, even if James had his casually wrapped around his swimming trunks, still dripping wet from his torso up. "And- and you won't believe what James did! He stayed underwater for two whole minutes! _Two minutes!_ Aunt Tessa was starting to worry about him, but he kept swimming so we knew he hadn't drowned."

Kayla and Steve looked to James, but the boy just shrugged, smoothing back his wet hair with his hand. Kayla tilted her head to look at Steve, "Wow. He must get that lung capacity from his father."

Steve's eyes fluttered up to the ceiling in thought for a moment as his wife smirked at him until eventually, he lowered his gaze to glare at her playfully as she burst into giggles.

"Where did Aunt Tessa and Uncle Bucky go?" James asked after a few moments. He pointed into their adjoining room, but it was empty.


	58. Chapter 58

Bucky held Tessa's hand as he led her down the hotel hall away from their room, using the children as a distraction to leave the Rogers behind.

"Bucky..." Tessa drawled as she looked over her shoulder, "What if they need us?"

"They don't. Tonight I need you. Alone."

Tessa blushed, beginning to jog a little to keep up easier with the massive man, "Where are we going?"

Bucky smiled back at her, "Don't know. Somewhere we can be alone. When in Rome, right?" Tessa grinned and followed the man into the elevator, pulling him into a passionate kiss as they rode it to the bottom floor. Once outside the hotel, Bucky slowed his pace, tossing his arm around Tessa's shoulders as they walked down the cobblestone streets of Rome.

They wandered the dimly lit streets for a while in silence, just enjoying each other's company. "You hungry? I'm sure Steve and Kayla got room service for the kids already. How about I take you out for dinner? Do you like Italian? There has to be an Italian restaurant around here right?" Bucky teased as he bumped his hip against Tessa, almost knocking her over if he wasn't holding her in his strong right arm.

"I guess Italian will do." Tessa jested as she got up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to Bucky's jaw. As they continued walking, Tessa looked up to see Bucky's eyes narrow, and his back stiffened as he walked. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's following us," he answered coldly, tightening his grip on Tessa's shoulder. "I don't have my gun."

"I know that should unnerve me, but it doesn't?" Tessa hissed loudly, and Bucky casually looked over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of the slim figure in an oversized jacket behind them. Tessa didn't look back, but instead kept her eyes locked on Barnes, "What should we do?"

"I'll take care of it," Bucky grumbled as they stopped in front of a nice looking restaurant. "Go inside and get a table. I'll be there in five minutes."

"And if you aren't?" Tessa questioned worriedly, finally looking over Bucky's shoulder to the shadowy figure leaning against a nearby building.

Bucky smiled, "I will be. Order some breadsticks. I'll be back soon." Bucky pressed a kiss to Tessa's cheek and turned around, making a beeline toward the figure. Tessa leaned her cheek against the door, watching as her boyfriend tracked down their stalker.

The figure took a few steps into the alleyway, and Barnes followed them. His gait was heavy but quiet. He was determined to get the upper hand of whoever was keeping tabs on him. He followed them down the alleyway and watched the figure disappear around the corner. When Bucky reached the corner, he stopped and leaned his back against the brick, listening. There was no sound. He looked around the corner and saw an empty street, the mysterious follower nowhere to be found.

Bucky was presented with two options: follow the stalker and figure out who was watching them or go back to Tessa and enjoy dinner. He chose the latter and turned, slumping his shoulder as he trodded back down the street to the restaurant. He heard a noise from behind and stopped, turning quickly to look around the empty alley. While he was turned, he felt something sting his neck and slapped it, pulling his hand away to reveal a mosquito. Bucky turned around in a circle, feeling embarrassed by his paranoia. After all the years he spent as an assassin, the Winter Soldier shouldn't be so jumpy, but somebody was watching him that he couldn't catch. And they knew about his girl.

"Hey Bucky... you okay?" Tessa inquired gently as the broad man sat across from her at their little table next to the windows. He stared through the glass, completely captivated by the people passing outside. Tessa waved her hand in front of his face, "James?"

Bucky shook his head quickly, turning to the brunette as she tilted her head, letting her thick hair spill over her shoulder. "Sorry. I couldn't find them."

"Maybe there's nobody to find." Tessa offered optimistically, lifting her wine glass to Bucky. He smiled and clanked his water glass against it, but his blue eyes darted back to the window just in time to see the shadowy figure watching them from across the street. Bucky turned his head to get a better look, but a car passed, and the figure was gone.

Bucky shook his head, pushing back his dark hair as he turned to his date, "I'm sorry Tess. I'm just- unnerved. Someone's following us. And I can't find them."

Tessa lifted her head but didn't speak, breathing deeply through her nose as she considered this. The Winter Soldier was the greatest assassin in the past century, and if he couldn't figure out who was following him, they were in big trouble.

* * *

Two hours later, Bucky slowly unlocked their room and allowed Tessa to scurry in first before looking around the hotel hallway. Seeing that the coast was clear, Barnes closed and padlocked the door. He watched as Tessa turned on the bathroom light and begin washing her face. Bucky pulled his shirt over his head and discarded it in the bathroom before sidling up behind Tessa and pressing soft kisses to the crook of her neck, "Thank you for coming with me."

Tessa turned around, pressing her hands on Bucky's bare chest as her breath caught in her throat, "Thanks for asking me to come."

"Tomorrow we have to track down Contini. It'll be dangerous, probably end in a fight." Bucky pressed a kiss to the crown of Tessa's head, humming as he scrunched his eyes closed, "It always ends in a fight."

Tessa lifted her head, forcing Bucky to pull away to look down at her big, brown eyes, "What are you saying? You want to live tonight as if it's your last?"

"Maybe. Who knows what kind of tech Contini has at his disposal." Bucky's voice rumbled deep in his throat as he grabbed Tessa's thighs and hoisted her up onto the sink. She could feel the cool metal hand on her right leg and the hot blood of his human one on her left, and the sensation made her own chest tighten. She thrust her lips to his and he picked her back up, swinging her around and charging her out the door to dump her onto their bed. He fell on top of her and spread his legs on either side of her small frame as she began unzipping her jeans.

Steve cleared his throat loudly from the chair he was sitting in, his reddening face hidden by the darkness as Bucky and Tessa both turned to him in synch. "Damn it punk!" Bucky snarled, and Steve tried to hide his embarrassed smile when Tessa zipped her jeans back up. Bucky pushed himself to his feet and crossed his arms bitterly, "What do you want?"

"I was going to talk to you about tomorrow. I, uh, didn't realize you'd get right to it." Steve grunted as he pushed himself to his feet, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "I'll brief you in the morning?"

"Yeah. I think that's best." Bucky answered shortly, and Steve quietly let himself into his room, closing and locking the adjoining door behind him.

Bucky turned to Tessa, who was still sprawled out on her back on the bed. Bucky groaned quietly and shook his head, a slight smile gracing his lips, "I take it the moment is ruined?"

Tessa grinned seductively and unzipped her jeans again, "Can't kill the mood that easily."

Meanwhile, beyond the connecting doors, Steve Rogers pulled his own shirt over his head and discarded it in the small space between his bed and the wall before climbing into bed with his wife. Kayla moaned quietly and turned over, burrowing her face into Steve's chest as her arm draped over his bicep. "I love you."

"I love you too, Kay," Steve answered as he wrapped her in his arms and pulled her close, burying his nose into her red hair. He closed his eyes and breathed her in, imagining they were safe at home. He rubbed his thumb against the small of her back under her tanktop, and Kayla sighed against him, falling into a happy sleep.

* * *

Steve and Kayla were awoken from their sleep by James climbing onto their bed and jumping once, practically sending Kayla into the side table. "Moooom, I'm hungry!"

Kayla reached out and grabbed the nightstand, catching herself before she bashed her head against the wood. She swung her head back to see her son bouncing on the bed with his legs between her and her husband. "What else is new?" Kayla growled as she pushed herself back onto the mattress, whacking Steve hard against the chest, "Your son is hungry. Do something about it."

Steve opened his mouth and stared at his wife incredulously, but no argument came out as she side-eyed him, trying desperately not to strangle her son. Steve groaned loudly as he raised his arms above his head in a stretch, "Alright, get off the bed. Get dressed."

"I want to sleep some more. I'm not hungry." Sarah whined from her bed, clinging to the pillow as she wound up to sneeze. Kayla rolled over and studied the girl, finding her about to sneeze again.

"Oh honey, are you allergic to the pillows?" Kayla asked quietly, sitting up and moving to the kid's bed. She pulled the pillow out of its case and read the label. "Maybe you're allergic to goose feathers," Kayla said thoughtfully as she put the pillow back in its casing.

James rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Great job Sarah, you can't even do pilows right."

Kayla turned and glared at her son with wide eyes, shaking her head slowly to warn him not to speak to his sister again. Steve grabbed the young boy by the shoulder and guided him to the suitcase to pick out his clothes. Steve knew Kayla well enough to see her fuse was dwindling, and James was about to get burned. "Come on James, let's go get food for your mother and sister, shall we?"

"But I'm the one who's hungry."

"And you. Obviously I'm going to feed you." Steve sighed, handing his son a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before grabbing his own button-up plaid shirt from his suitcase. "Let's go."

Once James and Steve were out of the room, Sarah's bottom lip began to wobble and Kayla grabbed her cheeks and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Your brother is rambunctious. There's nothing wrong with you sweetie. Are you excited to go to the Coliseum today?"

"Yeah. James is going to hate it though. He'll think it's boring." Sarah complained as she sneezed loudly to the side of the bed, "I think you might be right about the pillows."

"Here," Kayla took the pillow from Sarah and picked up the little girl, placing her on her feet in front of the table, "Sit and doodle, I'll call the front desk and see if they have some regular pillows. Your father and I don't have to leave for another hour. If you want to rest more I bet Auntie Tessa would let you stay and rest while James does his summer reading. I know you read faster than him."

"It's the only thing I do faster than him," Sarah grumbled as she yanked the pen cap off and went to work drawing on the hotel notepad. She rested her cheek in her left hand and casually drew the wallpaper pattern with her right, adding in all the little details until it was perfect.

Kayla watched her daughter as she called her front desk, taking in her gentle nature. Kayla's mouth twitched to the side in a small smile, seeing so much of her Steve in their daughter. She knew their rambunctious son got his winning personality from her.

"Alright my darling, the concierge will be bringing up some non-feathered pillows for you. I'm going to get ready for the conference, are you okay here by yourself for a few minutes?"

"You'll just be in the bathroom, right? I think I can handle that." Sarah mumbled without looking up from her drawing, sticking her tongue out in concentration as she pressed harder into the pad, shading the swirl of her design. Kayla stowed herself away in the bathroom and pulled her thick hair up in a high ponytail. She pulled on black jeans and a black turtleneck, pulling her wedding ring off so she could put it on a chain and hide it beneath her shirt. Kayla pulled on her smartwatch and typed away on the screen, covering her body in vibranium armor. It was dark blue with red and white accents, matching her husband's old uniform. Kayla realized she hadn't used it since the battle at the compound.

Images of Steve standing alone before Thanos flooded her mind and Kayla dropped her head, sucking in air as she tried to fight the memories away. She pulled up her head, lifting her chin bravely to look at her own reflection.

_Come on Kay. You can do this. We're almost done._

Kayla tapped her watch, changing the color of the vibranium scales to black before dissipating the nano-tech into her watch. She placed a comm in her ear and swung open the bathroom door to find Steve and James sitting on their bed, shoving breakfast sandwiches into their mouths at an alarming pace. "Steve?"

"Hey, honey!" Steve mumbled through a mouthful of biscuit. He swallowed down his food and held up a bag for Kayla to take, "I got you cornetto."

"The croissant thing with the filling?" Kayla asked, her mouth watering as the smell wafted from the bag. Before Kayla could shove the pastry in her mouth, a loud knock came from the room next door. Sarah slid off the bed and pulled open the adjoining door, revealing Bucky and Tessa on the other side.

"Heading out in ten minutes! You kids ready to go?" Tessa called as she swept into the room. Sarah nodded, falling to her knees to grab her day's outfit from her suitcase. James wiped his mouth and caused all the crumbs to fall onto his parents' bed.

"Alright, be good. Kisses!" Kayla reached her arms out and Sarah ran into them, giving her mom a kiss on the cheek. James shoved his phone into his jeans pocket and pushed his sunglasses up his nose before wandering over to his mother, moaning before leaning in to receive a kiss from Kayla. She pressed her lips to his cheek, then pinched it teasingly as he swatted her hand away, following Tessa out the hotel door.

Once alone, Bucky turned to Kayla and Steve, unzipping his sweatshirt to reveal his black vest, "Let's get this show on the road."


	59. Chapter 59

Steve and Kayla pressed their backs against a brick building around the block from Contini's lab. Steve gently placed his hand on Kayla's waist and held her as he leaned over her to get a better view. "Four guards. No large weapons, but they could be concealed. Buck, what's your status?"

"I'm in position across the street on the roof. I have the guards in my sights." Bucky looked through the lens of his rifle, scanning the perimeter of the lab. On his second scan, a shadowy figure in an oversized jacket appeared around the side of the building. "Steve- the person from last night who was following Tessa and me- they are here."

Steve and Kayla shared a knowing glance, "You think they are a friend or a foe?"

Bucky locked onto the figure, realizing their hood was aimed up at him. Bucky clenched and unclenched his vibranium fist as he watched the figure back away beyond the building, "They knew exactly where I was."

"This is a trap." Kayla hissed, and Steve tightened his grip on Kayla's waist as she stared up at his stiff jaw. "Steve."

"Let's move in. Buck, keep an eye on the guards. Let us known if our friend shows up again." Steve ordered, ducking away from Kayla and sprinting toward the building as the guards began screaming warnings to each other and pulling their guns out. Steve rolled in, sweeping the legs of one guard before grabbing one of the others and using him as a shield from the bullets of the other two.

An alarm inside the lab started wailing as Kayla barreled past Steve, slamming her shoulder into the door to knock it in, allowing her entry into the lab. Kayla rolled into a somersault and sprung to her feet before hiding behind a beam, out of sight of the reinforcements heading outside to attack Steve. "I'm in. Barnes, might wanna get a little up close and personal with the guards. I don't think Steve can handle it alone."

"Thanks for the support, honey," Steve growled as he blocked a punch and threw the man over his shoulder. Barnes responded to Kayla's request by compounding his rifle and slinging it over his back, grabbing the side of the building and sliding down with his metal hand before joining Steve in combat.

Bucky brandished a knife from his vest and swung at one of the men, slicing the guard's throat as he took a bullet to his left hand. Bucky's blue eyes darted up to see a hooded figure appear from around a corner, a gun aimed at Barne's head. Bucky braced himself, but the shot whizzed past him and electrocuted the guard sneaking up behind him. Steve and Bucky shared a quick glance before Bucky pulled his gun off his back and aimed at the shooter, but they had already disappeared. "I kinda think our follower is a friend."

"I don't trust anyone with that kind of weaponry. Get inside and help Kay. I'll stay out here and watch the perimeter. The police will be here soon." Bucky huffed in response, motioning toward the broken door for Steve to go. As Steve darted into the building, Bucky placed his back to the open door, scanning the street for anu=y more assailants.

Inside, Kayla crept down the halls toward the main lab, mentally taking note of all the names on the doors as she went by. The sound of the floor creaking caught her attention and she twirled around with her gun drawn, coming face to face with Steve. "Hey, hey, it's just me," Steve whispered as Kayla sighed and lowered her weapon. "We don't have a lot of time. We need Contini."

"Who's asking?"

Steve and Kayla turned to see Contini's son standing behind them with a gun aimed at Kayla. Steve swallowed and pulled Kayla behind him so he was between her and gun. He scanned the weapon, realizing it was more advanced than the pistols they held. "You have a family, Francis. Do you want your daughters to grow up without their father?"

"Shut it, or I'll blow your head off." Contini snarled, taking a step closer with the gun raised to Steve's face. "Move." He gestured with the weapon to move away from the wall and the Rogers obliged, moving in the direction Francis Contini led them.

"You caught the intruders?" A slender man with dark, greying hair called from the workspace he was frantically cleaning. He looked up and met Steve's glance, answering it with a smirk, "The police are on the way. We have to pack up and move out. We'll dispose of these two on the way."

"And the other two?" Francis asked is father, causing Steve and Kayla to look to each other. _Two? _

"Use these two as bait. Public execution. Get them out of here while I finish packing up the weapons from Wakanda."

_Wakanda. _

Kayla clenched her jaw and Steve grabbed her arm as Francis took a step closer with the weapon. It was from Wakanda. They'd stolen it. They'd stolen everything when they destroyed them. When they murdered her friends. Kayla lunged toward the younger Contini, but the older scientist raised a gun toward her, finger on the trigger. "Take a step back, or they'll find nothing but a smoldering heap in your place." Kayla pursed her lips and leaned her back to Steve's chest.

"Steve? Kay? Does anybody copy?" Bucky asked into the comms, pulling his rifle from his back to turn to the building. He heard the sound of a door closing around the corner and pressed his back to the brick to quickly look around the corner unseen. He saw Steve and Kayla being led out of the lab at gunpoint. Steve's eyes met Bucky's and he gave the slightest shake of his head to tell Barnes to hold back.

Meanwhile, Tessa studied the guidebook while James and Sarah looked into the Colosseum with matching bored expressions. "It's just... a building. I thought there were gladiators here?" James whined as he kicked at the stone railing, causing a piece of it to crack.

"There used to be. Thousands of years ago." Tessa explained, grabbing James's arm to yank him away from the edge when she saw the pebbles beginning to tumble. "Please stop breaking the Colosseum." She hissed, looking both ways to make sure nobody had noticed.

"Can we go now? I think we've seen everything there is to see here." Sarah moaned, and Tessa knew she'd lost the kids' attention span if even the inquisitive Sarah was ready to leave.

"Alright. Let's get out of here-"

Tessa was cut off by the sound of people shrieking and a burly man running full speed past all the tourists. He was followed by another slim man wielding a thick sort of gun. "Kids, get down," Tessa ordered, pulling the kids to their knees behind a pillar. She pushed them behind her as the man leaped over the railing into the center of the Colosseum. Tessa looked back at the kids, finding James holding Sarah securely in his arms as the man with the gun stormed away toward stairs that would lead him down into the battleground below. When she looked back, she realized many of the tourists had stormed the railing to watch the fight unfold.

Tessa pressed her index finger to her lips and slowly stood, motioning for the children to stay hidden. She moved to the railing, peeking between two men to see the two men staring each other down- one with a high tech cannon and the other with a sniper rifle.

"Get out of here, we need everybody out!" Security guards screamed as they herded the tourists away while several more guards stormed the standoff below. Before they could gain control of the situation, one of the men aimed his cannon at them and blasted them to mush, causing the tourists to scream louder.

"My God. We have to get out of here." Tessa hyperventilated as she darted back to the kids, encouraging them to their feet as a gunshot went off down below. Sarah began to cry and James comforted her, looking over his shoulder until Tessa pulled his chin away. "Focus. We have to go now."

Tessa led the children down the stairs along with the rest of the masses, but they were abruptly stopped before they could get free into the streets. Several large Italian men with the same high-tech weapons blocked off the exit and began herding the sightseers back into the amphitheater. Tessa put a hand on each of the kids, holding them tightly as they stayed tucked safely in the pack. She should have been worried about their lives, but she was more worried Sarah and James would see their parents die.

"Back into the building." An older man with a megaphone ordered as he led the guards. "Then you'll all see what happens when you defy the reign of Hydra." They all aimed their weapons at the people and the shrieks intensified as they all stampeded back into the Colosseum.

When they arrived at the openings looking into the arena, Tessa gasped and shoved the kids behind her back, finding Steve and Kayla pressed back to back in the center with guns locked on their heads.

"I wanna see!" James whined loudly and Sarah shushed him as Tessa knelt down and grabbed his arms.

"No. You need to stay behind me. You need to hold your sister and do not, under any circumstances, look into that arena, do you understand me, James?"

The boy tried to look over her shoulder, but there were too many people blocking his view anyway. "Okay. I won't."

Tessa smiled grimly and rose to her feet, keeping one hand locked onto James's shoulder to make sure they were still behind her. She looked around frantically, realizing Bucky wasn't there.

The man with the megaphone waltzed up to Kayla and Steve and eyed them curiously before turning to his trapped audience. "My name is Leonardo Contini. I'm the head weapons scientist for Hydra." Kayla and Steve looked over their shoulders at each other suspiciously, unsure about why this man who had tried so hard to hide had just given up his identity to the world. "Would you all like to see a demonstration of what Hydra can do?"

The crowd mumbled loudly, but no cheers were heard from the terrified tourists. Tessa squeezed James's hand behind her back and he tightened his grip around Sarah as he tried to peak around Tessa's side.

Several of the Hydra agents fired up their weapons and approached Steve and Kayla. He grabbed her hands behind his back, holding her tightly as they prepared to die. Suddenly, Bucky appeared with a gun pressed to his back, being led into the center of the ring by the shadowy figure still hiding behind the hood. His jaw was hard when he met Steve's eyes and the two friends shared a nod in greeting. "Guess they weren't a friend after all," Bucky grumbled as he put his hands up in surrender. Kayla shook in her boots as Barnes was turned around to place his back to theirs. There was no escaping. No help on the way. The Avengers were nowhere near here.

They had gotten in too far over their heads.

Tessa covered her mouth as Francis Contini grabbed a gun and aimed it at Kayla's face. "Who are you? And who are you working for?"

"The Avengers." Kayla hissed at him and he took a step forward, causing her to lean farther all her weight against Steve's back. "If you kill us, they'll hunt you forever. You will die. Your family will die. You could have walked away. Remember that."

"I think you underestimate the power of Hydra." Francis answered, lowering the weapon and taking his place behind his father as the older Contini addressed the crowd.

"Cut off one head, two more will take its place." He warned, taking the weapon from his son and waving it at the crowd, "Our puppet head may have fallen, but our leader has guided us to victory over the most advanced country in the world! And now we take Wakanda's advancements as our own. Hail Hydra." He turned and aimed the weapon at the three hostages. Tessa crunched her eyes closed, turning to shield the children as their parents prepared to die.

Leonardo Contini pushed the button on the weapon, discharging it. He looked at the weapon, then at the three heroes he was trying to disintegrate. He pushed the button again, but nothing happened. Kayla opened her eyes and stared at Contini before looking over her shoulder at Steve. He stayed laser-focused on the man trying to kill them, finding the weapon defective.

"Give me that!" Contini grabbed a similar gun from a man nearby, aiming it at Bucky and shooting, but once again, nothing happened. He studied the weapon, finding it wouldn't activate. "This isn't possible. Everyone shoot!"

Every Hydra agent in the Colosseum raised their weapons to the trio, but nothing happened. Finally, after a long moment of trying to fix the firearms, the hooded figure raised their arms and blasted the three closest Hydra agents holding Steve, Kayla, and Bucky captive. The electric current brought the agents to the ground, and the figure turned and shot down Leonardo as Kayla, Steve, and Bucky sprinted away. The change of status quo sent the crowd scrambling out of the Colosseum, seeing that their captors had no weapons to keep them there.

The older Contini pushed himself to his feet and grabbed a pistol from his pocket to aim at the hooded figure, but before he got a chance, Steve swept his legs and pinned him to the ground, "Where is your supply going?"

"You think I'd tell you?" Contini asked, tilting his head curiously as he smiled, "You look so familiar. Captain America, wasn't it?" Steve narrowed his eyes, daring the weapon's specialist to say anything more. "Everyone thinks you're dead. But here you are. You aren't going to kill me. You don't have it in you."

Steve pulled back his fist and pummeled it into Contini's face, knocking the man unconscious. The soldier grunted as he lumbered to his feet, looking to his right to see Bucky rip the gun from Francis's hand and discard it on the ground, causing the younger man to run away in panic. Steve turned to find Kayla, but she was nowhere to be found.

The figure who had taken their side aimed at two Hydra agents, blasting them to the ground, but they didn't realize another mercenary was right behind them with a knife, ready to plunge it into the traitor's back. "How could you betray us? Nobody betrays Hydra." The figure froze at the words, knowing the enemy was too close.

Suddenly Kayla came charging out of nowhere, pummeling the attacker to the ground. "Go! Now!"

When the shadowed figure heard Kayla's voice, they stopped and unbuttoned their jacket, pulling off the hood to reveal the Wakandan Princess. "Kayla?"

Kayla looked up in shock, struggling to catch her breath at the sight, "Shuri? I thought-"

"You were dead." Shuri finished, offering her hand to help Kayla off of the man she'd crushed into the dirt. "I don't understand." Kayla took her hand and bopped her head back and forth as she took a deep breath.

"It's a long story." Kayla pulled Shuri into a reluctant hug, "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry for everything."

"We have time for that later, for now, we have to stop that shipment from getting out. Hydra has been tinkering with my tech for months. I can render it useless within range, but once it's out of Italy there's nothing we can do." Shuri explained, looking around. "Where did they take it?"

"They have an old truck, green tarp over the back. I don't know where they are taking it but I'm sure they have a jet. Take Barnes and go. We'll take care of the Contini's." Kayla promised as Shuri double blasted two men coming for them. Shuri looked to her questioningly, but Kayla just waved her off, "Go, now!"

Shuri took off running, sliding between two Hydra agents to reach Bucky. When he saw her, he dropped his jaw a little, but Shuri just grabbed his real arm and pulled him toward the back of the Colosseum to catch the truck.

Tessa was following the crowd of people toward the exit but spared one more glance behind her at the battle in the arena. It was then she realized Bucky was nowhere to be seen, so she slowed to take a better look. After realizing he was gone, she turned back, only to find he wasn't the only one missing. "James? Sarah! Where are you?" She darted after the crowd, looking for the kids she was supposed to be protecting. Three rapid gunshots erupted from behind her, and she spun around, unable to see anything as people pushed her toward the exit. "James! Sarah!"

The boy looked around, trying to find the voice that called for them. Sarah clung to him as he held his ground, people occasionally running into the strong boy in their attempt to flee. "Aunt Tessa!" Sarah screamed, but she couldn't find the brunette any better than her taller brother. She turned toward the arena in what felt like slow motion and saw one of the men raise a gun.

"It's over, Contini. Tell us where the shipment is headed." Steve said as he aimed his gun at Leonardo. "You're the last man standing."

Kayla stood off to the side, shifting in her boots as she watched her husband threaten the man. With the weapon's expert gone, Hydra would struggle. They'd be on to their next target. They just needed a location in case Shuri and Bucky couldn't catch them.

Leonardo Contini laughed loudly, brushing himself off. A dark bruise was already forming where Steve had punched him, but his eyes were still electric with hope, "Oh Captain, you think you've outnumbered me, but you're sadly mistaken." Contini motioned to Kayla and Steve turned to his wife just in time to see Francis Contini come up behind her and hold a needle to her neck. Steve moved the gun to Francis and he touched her soft skin with the needle, prepared to plunge it into her. Leonardo laughed and took a step closer to Steve, "Shoot me, and my son kills the girl. Shoot him, and I get away. That gun you picked up only has one bullet left. You have to choose. I can recreate my weapons, but can you live with yourself knowing you could have saved her?"

Steve looked between father and son, and he saw Francis put the dots together. His father was bartering with his life. Steve's hand was shaking as he kept it aimed at Leonardo, knowing that if he pulled the trigger they'd be one step closer to stopping Hydra.

Sarah took a step closer to the opening of the Colosseum. Two more steps and she'd have a perfect view of the standoff in the arena. James held her hand but didn't walk with her, instead, standing his ground as he watched his sister nervously. The gun cocked and suddenly Sarah was being yanked away from the opening, but the gunshot resonated through her very soul. She buried herself in Tessa's chest and began to cry as the brunette covered James's face with her hand. Tessa shook from head to toe, not able to look around the pillar to get a better view. Everything was silent.

"Let's get out of here. Let's go back to the hotel okay? Wait for your parents there." Tessa stammered, feeling her throat dry as she considered that their parents may not show up. "Let's go." She held each child in a hand and stared straight ahead as she led them back into the crowd and back to the hotel.


	60. Chapter 60

Tessa paced back and forth in Kayla and Steve's bedroom, waiting for the group to return. She shoved her fingers through her thick brown hair as she looked at the ground, trying to convince herself everything was okay. Any second they'd all walk through the door like everything was fine. They'd walk in and freak out about their children being at the Colosseum during the battle. They'd tell the kids some story about how they were worried sick but couldn't get out of their meetings. Any minute now they'd be back.

Tessa looked at the clock between the beds, seeing it had been five hours since the standoff ended and they still hadn't returned.

"Where's Mom and Dad?" Sarah asked quietly, curled up in her parent's bed with the covers pulled up to her chin. James sat on the kids' bed, occasionally looking up from his summer reading to check on his sister. He hadn't said much since they'd returned, which Tessa noted was very uncharacteristic of the boy.

"They should be here soon." Tessa sighed, looking at her watch even though she already knew what time it was. "I'm sure they are just running late."

"Are they okay?" Sarah asked again, and James shot her a dirty look as he clenched and unclenched his fist.

Tessa forced a confident smile to the little girl, "Of course they are. Why wouldn't they be?"

Sarah shrugged, digging herself deeper into the covers, "Today was really scary. I just have this feeling that they aren't okay."

Tessa's eyes widened and she puffed out her cheeks, trying to figure out how to answer the child. "I- I don't know."

"Can you not be such a downer all the time, Sarah? They are fine. I know it." James snapped, slamming his book closed and sitting up straight to face his sister. "They are fine. They'll be here any second. They weren't there today."

"How do you know?"

"Because they weren't. Mom and Dad are lame. They are just in meetings, they wouldn't dump us off with Aunt Tess just to show up at the same place as us anyway." James barked back, but Sarah just raised her nose defiantly as she looked up to the ceiling.

"They could have seen the fight on the news and come looking for us. You don't know. There could have been more fights. They are late. They should have been back by now!" Sarah fought back and the boy stood up, but Tessa intercepted him with a commanding frown. She pointed back at the bed, telling the boy to get back to work. He clenched is jaw angrily, and Tessa couldn't help but think he looked like a little Captain America preparing to fight.

Suddenly the door began to unlock and Tessa darted to the side to see who was coming in. It was Bucky who pushed the door open and entered, and Tessa couldn't help herself from jumping into his arms and pressing a kiss to his lips as he bent down to reach her. "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

"Where's Mom and Dad?" James asked cooly, pushing himself out of the bed to approach the man. Bucky looked showered and clean in his business suit; clearly he had been in meetings all day. But Steve and Kayla were still missing.

"Uh-" Bucky started, looking nervously between Tessa and the boy as Sarah crawled to the edge of the bed to peek around the corner at her Uncle Bucky. Tessa's eyes widened at his need to come up with an explanation, and her legs felt weak.

Bucky didn't have a chance to answer because Steve pushed open the door, followed closely by Kayla. James darted to his mother, throwing his arms around her as she doubled over to press a kiss to his head, opening her other arm to receive Sarah.

"I was so worried about you guys!" Kayla cooed as she ruffled her son's hair, "You guys weren't at the Colosseum when it was overtaken were you?"

"We were! We were there and it was so scary!" Sarah whimpered and James stayed silent, which only confirmed Kayla's suspicion that her son was just as shaken as his younger sister. She tightened her grip on her kids, looking up to meet Steve's eyes. He dropped his head shamefully and Kayla reached up and grabbed his face. Sarah released her mother and darted to her father, but when she wrapped her arms around him, she scowled. "Daddy?"

"Yes, Honey?" Steve answered as he knelt down to be at eye level with the girl. His muscles ached as he moved, and Kayla's eyes softened at the pained look on his face. Sarah pressed one small hand against Steve's chest, looking up at him sadly. She didn't answer her question, only backed away slowly and looked up at her mother.

Kayla looked between Sarah and Steve, then down at James who still held her tightly, "How about we order some pizza for dinner. Then you guys can go swimming with Auntie Tess and Uncle Bucky, sound good? Your Dad and I are going to go on a date tonight."

"I guess," James mumbled, pressing his face to the side of Kayla's ribcage. She was confused by his behavior, but she didn't know exactly how much he'd seen. "Sarah was worried that you guys came to the Colosseum... when you saw the news. She was so worried about you guys."

Kayla nodded thoughtfully, scratching James's neck beneath his blonde hair, "We would have, but we didn't even see what had happened until after it was over. No phones allowed at the conference. We didn't even realize how late it had gotten until it ended."

James finally pulled away, seeming happy with his mother's answer. "Alright, we'll forgive you. This time. Right, Sarah?" The little blonde girl nodded, but she didn't seem to understand what she was agreeing to. James straightened up and wandered over to the hotel phone, "Pizza? you said we could get pizza. The sooner we get it, the sooner we go swimming right?"

"Right," Kayla answered happily, beaming at Tessa. "I'll put the order in. Should be here soon. Think you two can handle these two hooligans for a few hours?"

Tessa opened her mouth to answer but Bucky cut her off, "Of course! I feel like I've barely seen them this week. What if we have the pizza delivered to the pool?"

"Yes. Let's do that. Sarah! Sarah get your suit on!" James yelled at his sister and Sarah released a long breath, padding her way into the bathroom to grab her drying swimsuit from the night before. Kayla followed her to help her get situated while James flipped through the menu for the pizza restaurant downstairs. Steve, however, sat on his bed without saying anything. He stared at the wall blankly, but neither Bucky nor Kayla paid any attention to him.

"We should go get our suits from the other room," Tessa said awkwardly, pointing over her shoulder to the adjoining room with her thumb. Bucky smiled softly and nodded, leading her into the room next door to change. Tessa quietly closed the door and looked around before hissing loudly, "What the hell happened today? If I'd have known you'd start a battle royale at the Colosseum I would have taken them to gladiator school like James wanted."

"Steve and Kay got captured. Contini wanted the audience. We didn't know you guys would be there still, not that we had much of a choice." Bucky answered easily, going into the bathroom to grab his swim trunks. "Things took a turn for the worse. Luckily an old friend helped me catch the shipment of weapons before it got out of town- but Contini got away."

"So it was all for nothing?" Tessa asked quietly, grabbing her own bikini off the towel rack. She pulled her shirt over her head and Bucky grabbed her, pulling her close to him. He massaged her hips with his thumbs, then flipped over his metal arm to tap away at the keypad that appeared. Tessa watched as the metal turned to flesh-colored plastic. She raised her brow, but Bucky just ignored her surprise.

"I wasn't there," Bucky said as he looked into Tessa's chocolate eyes, "Contini put Steve in a hard spot. He had one bullet. Contini had one foot out the door, but his son had Kayla in a death grip. Steve chose to save Kay." Bucky shrugged as Tessa wiggled into her swim bottoms, looking up at him when he paused, "Not that anyone is surprised about that."

"Would you have done things differently?" Tessa pressed nervously, reading from the tone of Bucky's voice that he thought Steve should have made the other choice.

But Bucky just shook his head, "No. I wouldn't have. We can track down Contini again. But Steve's very shaken. That man was a father, a husband, and Steve took his life with a bullet to the skull." Tessa shook at Bucky's words, but he continued casually, "They aren't going on a date tonight, Steve just needs some time alone to decompress. I said we'd keep the kids busy for a few hours. He needs it."

Tessa finished tying the front of her top and put her hands on her hips, "Sounds like a plan to me. I could go for some pizza and a swim. But you are head babysitter. Those kids are exhausting."

Bucky pulled her close and kissed her, smirking as he pulled away slightly, "Have you met their parents?"

* * *

It only took about forty-five seconds after the kids left with Bucky and Tessa for Steve Rogers to completely break down from the day's events. Kayla darted to his side, kneeling on the floor by the bed to look up at her husband as he cried into his hands, "Steve? Baby... it's okay. Everything's fine. We'll catch Contini. We'll set this right."

Steve sniffled loudly, rubbing his eyes as Kayla rubbed his cheeks, "I killed a man today. An innocent man. He was just trying to protect his father, and I killed him. He had a wife and kids and they'll never see him again... because of me. I should have taken out Leonardo when I had the chance, but I wanted to find a peaceful way out." Steve chuckled darkly as he pushed back his hair, "I think I forgot that I was created for war."

"I don't like that kind of talk." Kayla chastised as she moved to sit beside Steve on the edge of the bed, "There's nothing wrong with wanting to spare someone's life, Steve. It's what I love about you. You're _good_. I'm sorry that I'm the reason you had to make that call today. I would have understood if you made the other one..."

"No. I'd never," Steve replied quickly, grabbing Kayla's left hand and kissing it tenderly. He used his free hand to brush her auburn hair behind her ear, "I'll always choose you. I should have kept you closer. Then perhaps the man working for Hydra would be dead instead of his carpenter son."

"He made his choice. They both did. And so did you. All we can do now is to move on from it. Can you do that?" Kayla asked as she leaned forward and pressed her forehead to Steve's. He breathed her in, shifting in an attempt to ease the pain in his back.

"Yes." He kissed Kayla softly, then sighed, keeping his head pressed to hers as he added, "I'm getting too old for this, Kay."

She pulled away and grabbed Steve's face, studying it. The scientist in her wanted to run some tests, to see why Steve would say such a blasphemous thing, but his wife could see that he was right. The lines around his eyes never quite went away when he stopped smiling, and his jaw didn't look as defined as it once did. His metabolism was slowing down, and he wasn't eating as much. He also didn't have the stamina he used to have. Steve Rogers was getting older and that scared the shit out of his wife.

"Shhh, none of that." Kayla hushed, but the way she swallowed hard told Steve that she knew he was right. "We're almost done. It's almost over. Two more targets."

"Three. Contini got away." Steve grumbled, leaning back onto the bed. Kayla groaned and laid beside him, cuddling up into the crook of his arm as he wrapped it around her.

"Fine, three, but then we'll enjoy an easy retirement," Kayla promised and Steve pressed a kiss to her head. They both laid there in silence for a while, thinking about what the future held. All Kayla knew was that she wouldn't let her husband die. Not by bullet, by cyanide, and sure as hell not by old age.


	61. Chapter 61

James strode into a swanky hotel in Geneva, Switzerland wearing jeans and a button-up collared shirt. He waltzed up to a young woman with long blonde hair working at the check-in counter and pulled off his sunglasses, tucking them into the pocket of his shirt, "Bonjour, Magnifique."

"James, what the hell are you doing?" Steve barked as he grabbed his son by the shoulder and pulled him away from the receptionist who looked at the large blonde man with surprised eyes. "Checking in, Steven Carter. Should be two connecting rooms."

The woman nodded, understanding his English perfectly. She occasionally eyed the child who winked up at her. She gave him a skeptical glance, "here are your room keys Mr. Carter. Let us know if we can do anything to make your stay more comfortable," she replied in a thick Swiss accent. Steve nodded his thanks and turned to walk away, but not before his son could say his own goodbyes.

"Au revoir, mon amour."

Steve pulled his son away from the pretty woman, groaning as he met his wife and daughter in the elevator. "Since when does your son know French?"

"I don't know?" Kay responded lightly with a shrug, fixing her red lipstick in the mirrored wall. Her green eyes darted to meet Steve's blues with a smug look, "You speak French, don't you?"

Steve narrowed his eyes at his wife before looking down to see James plugging his headphones into his iPad and hitting play, letting the Learn French app continue. Steve made a reach at the iPad before Kayla slapped his hand away, all while Sarah stood between them awkwardly with her hands in the pockets of her red overalls. She swayed forward and backward, using all her willpower to not tell her father that James was using his credit card to pay for his French lessons online.

When Kayla opened the door, James shoved past Sarah and claimed the bed by the window, and Sarah climbed onto her parent's bed and snarled at her brother, "I don't want to sleep by the window again."

"Too bad, because I claimed it."

"Dad!"

Steve looked at his wife and Kayla offered an amused expression in return. He groaned and turned to the children who had begun yelling over each other. "Sarah, you and your mother can sleep by the wall, I'll take the window with James. There, you happy?"

"Very. I don't want to sleep with her anyway!" James stuck his tongue out at Sarah and she crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air, facing away from her brother. James mimicked her action mockingly, "Girls are gross."

"Music to my ears." Kayla hummed under her breath as she placed her suitcase on the bed. She pulled out a tiny pillbox and popped open one of the slots, handing the medicine to her daughter, "Take your allergy medicine please."

Sarah groaned loudly and took the pill to the bathroom to grab a glass of water. She looked in the mirror as she swallowed, not realizing that she was far too young to have such issues. Sarah played with her hair until a fit of coughing erupted from her throat. She grabbed onto the edge of the sink and squished her eyes closed, trying to catch her breath. It was Steve who appeared in the doorway to check on her, kneeling down quickly to get to her level, "Are you okay?"

"I hate that I'm always sick. James isn't sick. It's the worst." Sarah wheezed, and Kayla appeared in the doorway to hand Steve the girl's inhaler before going back to finishing unpacking the kids' suitcase. Sarah took the inhaler as her eyes watered. When she'd gotten a hold of her breathing, she handed the inhaler back to her dad, "I just wish I was better. I wish I didn't cause so many problems."

"You don't cause problems, Honey," Steve assured the girl as she sat on the toilet lid, scuffing her feet against the tile.

"I mean, not like James, but it's still frustrating."

"I heard that!" James yelled from the other room and Sarah rolled her eyes at him as she smiled at Steve.

Steve shook his head, but he couldn't shake the smirk on his face, "Your brother doesn't cause problems either. You two are perfect. Don't ever change." Steve fussed up Sarah's hair and stood, groaning a little as he did. He stretched his arms, tired from the plane ride from Italy. "Come on, let's spend some time with your mom and brother before the conference starts up again tomorrow."

"We're gonna hang out with Aunt Tess, right?" Sarah asked as she followed her father out of the bathroom. She sat down next to Kayla on their bed and the redhead grabbed her daughter in a loving hug.

Steve looked out the window as James continued learning French on his iPad, "Yeah, if they ever get here."

* * *

The stewardess heard the quiet moan before the loud crack, but it was the hiss that followed that made her knock on the lavatory door, "Everything okay in there?"

"Yeah, I'm fine! I'm just trying to change! Sorry!" Tessa called as she held her hand to Bucky's mouth, which was inches from her neck. Her bra strap was loose against her arm, and her skirt was hiked up around her waist. It was cruel how put together Bucky was when she was in such a disheveled state.

The stewardess pulled her lips into a thin line, "Alright, well, be careful please." She looked over her shoulder, pausing for just a moment, then continued on through the cabin of the plane.

"They're gonna kill us when they find out we missed our connection in Munich." Tessa hummed as she released Bucky's lips and he went to work sucking on her skin. "Maybe we should have taken the train with them."

"No." He moaned into her neck as his hand trailed down to her chest, "It's safer for us to travel separately."

"You used me as a battering ram against the sink."

"Sometimes I forget you're more... breakable than me." Bucky chuckled and Tessa groaned as his hands moved down to her thighs. "If we traveled with them, do you think we could do this?"

Tessa looked down at her smart watch and her eyes widened, "We're landing in twenty minutes."

"So we have twenty more minutes..."

"Umm, I'm a mess. You need to leave so I can freshen up." Tessa ordered and Bucky pouted, kneeling down to press kisses down her stomach. When he reached her waist he gently grabbed the hem of her skirt and pulled it down, then reached for her discarded shirt on the ground. She smiled down at him as she kept her hand tangled in his hair, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I can be a gentleman. When it suits me." Bucky winked and pressed another firm kiss to Tessa's lips. "I'll see you when we land."

Tessa buttoned up her blouse as Bucky reached for the lock, "I love you."

His head shot up and he turned around to look at Tessa, "What?"

"I love you- James Buchanan Barnes. I love you so much." Tessa admitted as a blush crept into her cheeks. "I haven't said that to anybody since Ryan."

"I love you, too," Bucky said quietly, looking down at his left arm. Tessa frowned when she saw how anxious he looked, but he continued before she could ask, "I just don't want anything to happen to you. I'd never forgive myself."

"The feeling is mutual," Tessa said as she stepped closer to the soldier, pulling her long hair to the side. "After this, Steve and Kayla are done. What about you?"

Bucky looked in the mirror, and Tessa followed suit, seeing them pressed together in the small space, "I could be done too." Tessa grabbed his cheek, and he kissed her quickly, then fled the bathroom to go back to his seat, just as the pilot announced they would begin their descent into Geneva.

* * *

"So I'm taking the kids to Vielle Ville to look around and get lunch, then we'll spend the rest of the afternoon here at the hotel reading. Right kids?" Tessa asked over her shoulder as she explained _her _itinerary to their parents.

"As long as there's food I'm in!" James called back and Sarah gave a thumbs up without looking at Tessa, too enthralled in her doodling to draw her gaze away.

Kayla nodded as she pulled her long hair back into a bun on top of her head, "Sounds like a plan to me. Just, uh-" She looked at the kids then leaned in to whisper, "Keep them away from the university. Let's not have another Colosseum incident."

"That wasn't my fault. Steve's itinerary." Tessa pointed at the blonde man as he laid in the bed with James, looking over the boy's shoulder as his son studied French.

"Well, hopefully this time we'll be better prepared. Shuri sent us with some of her more under-the-radar weapons. Something a little more extreme than what we had." Kayla explained under her breath, "I just worry about them. I kinda think this whole thing was a mistake. Rome was a disaster."

"But this won't be. As you said, you'll be better prepared." Tessa assured Kayla, but the woman wasn't listening, "What are you going after?"

"Sam sent word that Hydra's top scientists are en route to Geneva to steal a bio-weapon. They believe it's a super-soldier serum, which tracks for Hydra." Kayla mumbled and passed Tessa to enter her room. She sat on Tessa and Bucky's bed, spreading out as she stretched. "So..." Kayla trailed off, "How are you and Barnes?"

"Good! We are good! Things are... good." Tessa stammered as the color red stained her cheeks. She latched her hands behind her back and twisted her lips to the side as Kayla smirked up at the ceiling.

"That's good. You both deserve a win."

Tessa took a step closer to Kayla, but upon closer inspection, it was clear she wasn't thinking about Tessa's love life anymore.

"You ever worry about him staying young forever?"

"Excuse me?" Tessa asked, taken back by the blonde's quick change in subject.

"I mean, they are over one hundred years old. Who's to say they won't stay young forever." Kayla said to herself. She twisted her wedding ring in her right hand while she bit the inside of her cheek. "It's just something I think about sometimes."

"I mean, it's come up in conversation, but Bucky understands what happened to him about as well as I do. You though, you studied the serum, did you not?" Tessa inquired as she took a seat on the bed.

"I did." Kayla confirmed slowly, "Which is why I'm so nervous now."

Tessa stared at Kayla for a moment, trying to get a read on what was bothering her. Something about the serum? Something that would affect Steve and Bucky?

And her.

"Hey, your kids are ready for bed. You should get some sleep for tomorrow." Bucky said as he leaned against the doorframe of the adjoining rooms. Kayla nodded and sat up easily. She gave Tessa a short wave and touched Bucky's arm as she passed, closing the door between their rooms without a word.

"She's acting strange," Tessa observed while she watched Bucky, trying to see if he agreed.

He just pulled the sheets open and sat on the bed, pulling open Tessa's side so they could both get some sleep.

* * *

Kayla adjusted the black bob wig on her head as she pressed bright purple frames farther up her nose. Her lab coat was buttoned sloppily as she raced through the front door of the Geneva University Hospital. She nodded her greetings to the other doctors as she moved quickly toward the elevator, swiping a key card off of a woman moments before the doors closed. "I'm in."

"Meet us on the roof?"

"You got it, Doctor Rogers." Kayla cooed as she kept her finger pressed to the door closed button. She watched as the numbers above the door rose and rose until eventually, she reached the top floor. The door opened and Kayla moved to the stairwell, pressing the key card to the pad to unlock it. She sprinted up the stairs and flung open the roof door to let Steve and Barnes into the stairwell.

"Any sign of Hydra?" Kayla asked as Steve pulled a lab coat over his suit. Bucky looked up from unpacking his bag and stowing it behind the door leading to the hospital.

Steve shook his head and tossed Bucky a suit jacket to pull over his white dress shirt, "Nope. Everything's quiet. But Sam is sure what they're looking for is here."

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all." Kayla told the boys as they finished putting together their disguises. "We could just take it."

"No. If it's what we think it is, we render it useless. If they think it doesn't work, they won't try it again." Steve explained, grabbing Kayla by the hip and pulling her toward him. "Buck has all the materials you could ask for. You get in, check it out, tell us what you need. Then we move on."

Kayla grabbed the briefcase out of Bucky's hand and backed up away from the men, "I'll take it now. Keep an eye out for the Medranos." Kayla opened the door and twirled her way back out into the hallway toward Biosafety Level 4. Several minutes later, Steve burst through the door looking at his pager before looking up at a map on the wall to find an exit point for his team.

Once Steve was gone, Bucky moved from the stairwell to the elevator, hitting the button for the bottom floor before adjusting his tie. He walked out the front door and found a spot at a little cafe across the street. "I'm in position. Keeping an eye out for our scientists." He pulled out his phone to see a picture of two Hydra scientists, a tall brunette woman and her husband. "Be safe you two."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Kayla mumbled as she reached the lab, pressing her ID card against the door. Her green eyes darted around as the door unlocked. At the sound, Kayla twisted the handle and pushed it open, closing it quickly behind her. She looked around before grabbing a pair of goggles and rubber gloves and an apron that she pulled over her lab coat. Kayla puffed out her cheeks and pursed her lips as she turned her attention to the vials in front of her behind a thick pane of glass. She gently cracked the lock and pulled open the glass before studying the vials, realizing she couldn't figure out which one was the one she needed. "Shit."

Bucky sipped his coffee slowly as he tapped his gloved fingers against the wooden table. Suddenly, Bucky noticed a couple entering the hospital that looked similar to the people in his photo, "Guys, we've got company."

"Well I'm gonna need you to stall because we have a problem," Kayla muttered as she studied the vials. She knelt down and studied two of the vials, both a foggy clear liquid. A third vial was held behind the other two, but it appeared to be empty.

"They are already in the building, Steve? Can you assist?"

"I'm on it," Steve said as he swung around the corner to the elevators, waiting patiently for one to take him down to the lobby. He tapped his foot as he waited, looking around nervously before looking down at his watch. Suddenly, the elevator dinged and a husband and wife team exited toward him. Steve paled at the sight of them, realizing it was Izetta and Osvaldo Medrano, Heads of Hydra's Science and Experimentation Department. Steve's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he took in the pair, but they were on a mission. "Excuse me!"

Izetta turned and looked at Steve, shamelessly looking him up and down before answering, "Can I help you?"

"You and your husband... won the Nobel Prize in 2013 right? For your work in vaccinations for infectious diseases?" Steve questioned and the curly-haired man looked up at his wife nervously. Izetta narrowed her eyes at Steve, but his question didn't seem to faze her as much as it did Osvaldo.

"Yes. That is us. It's why we are here. Now if you excuse us, we have work to do." Izetta took a step around Steve, but he blocked her, and the woman stared up at him angrily, "Is there something else I can help you with?"

"Umm..." Steve stammered, trying to come up with a reason to keep them with him instead of finding his wife. He looked down and saw that Osvaldo was carrying a briefcase, but Izetta appeared to have a weapon. "What are you working on?"

"They asked us here to help them with a vaccine. That's all I can share. We don't have a lot of time. We have a flight to catch in an hour, so, if you could- move."

Kayla clenched her teeth as she plucked the first vial from its spot in the case, hearing that Steve was running out of material to stall the Hydra scientists. Kayla held the vial with one hand and knelt down, unbuckling her briefcase with the other. She gently pried a green liquid in a syringe from her case and plunged the needle through the cork top of the serum. The hospital clearly didn't want anybody getting into the vial easily, but that wasn't a problem for Kayla Rogers. She quickly put the vial back and reached for the second one, but before she got a chance the door behind her clicked open.

Kayla pulled the glass case closed and darted away, somersaulting behind a metal table just before Izetta and Osvaldo entered into the lab. Kayla knelt down and watched between several beakers and jars, waiting to see which vials the Medranos would take. Then a familiar voice brought her out of her focus as she heard Steve babbling from the doorway, trying to distract them as long as possible.

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do to help-" Steve stopped when he realized the lab was empty. He looked around, but couldn't find Kayla anywhere.

"No. Leave, or we'll make you leave." Izetta threatened with a roll of her brown eyes. She grabbed a pair of gloves and goggles, then handed another set to her husband. "While we appreciate your interest in our work, we really must be going. What we're working on is going to change the world."


	62. Chapter 62

_**Author's Note: Hey guys! I hope you are doing well! We have FINALLY gotten this section written and edited and we'll be posting a new chapter every day this week! Be advised- this section was started about six months ago, but it's going to really hit home right about now with the Coronavirus Pandemic. I hope you all are being safe and staying healthy and STAYING HOME (if you can). Please enjoy, review, favorite, all that fun stuff! Sorry I took so long, but I'm back and here we goooo. **_

Steve unbuttoned his lab coat and laid it over his arm as he walked briskly out of the building. He made a beeline for the cafe that Bucky sat at and pulled up a chair to sit across from him. He looked back at the building, tapping his foot rapidly against the concrete, "She wasn't in there. I don't know where she is."

"I'm sure she's fine," Bucky answered, studying Steve's expression. "Are you okay?"

"I'm going back in for her." Steve started to stand but Bucky grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the seat. Steve squirmed under his friend's grip but sat back into the chair anyway. "What if they have her Buck?"

"They don't. Give her a minute," Bucky hissed as the waitress appeared to refill his coffee and take Steve's order. Steve shook his head at the waitress and lifted his hand, telling her he was fine. Bucky leaned into his chair and sipped his coffee as he looked up at the building, "Have a little faith in your wife. You said she wasn't there when you saw the lab. She'll be out any minute."

Suddenly, Steve reached across the table and smacked Bucky on his right bicep, nodding toward the building over his shoulder. Barnes looked past Steve to see the Medranos leaving the building as an alarm began to sound. The doors were slammed closed and locked moments after their escape. Steve twitched like he was going to spring to his feet, but Bucky had planted his vibranium arm onto his shoulder to keep him down.

Armed guards took their places outside the building and the local police sirens were heard in the distance. Bucky stood and pointed toward the hotel casually, "Wanna take a walk?"

"No."

"Well, we're walking. Let's go." Bucky led Steve away, but the blonde kept looking over his shoulder nervously for the sight of his wife. Barnes led Steve around the corner of the hospital, and a crack was heard from up ahead. They looked at each other, and then looked up to see a window being shoved up several stories high. Bucky chuckled as Kayla leaned out the window to see her husband and friend below, "Well I'll be damned."

Steve stumbled back a step and Kayla looked both ways before pulling her briefcase out the window. She pointed to it, and then tossed it out the window to Steve. The former Captain caught it easily, but the question of Kayla's escape was still up in the air.

"How far up do you think she is?" Bucky asked as he held his hand to the sky, blocking the sun as Kayla tried to find a way out. She'd already rid herself of her lab coat, so Kayla wasn't trying to hide anymore.

Steve tilted his head back and forth, his mouth ajar as he saw what Barnes was thinking, "At least fifteen floors up."

"How fast would she fall?"

"That's not funny."

"I wasn't kidding." Bucky and Steve turned to look at each other as Kayla looked over her shoulder, something inside the building catching her attention. "She's going to jump."

Steve groaned loudly as he planted his feet below the open window that Kayla was leaning out of. She smiled and backed up before taking a running start and diving out the open window as a pair of guards leaned out after her. Kayla positioned her body to land on her back, spreading her arms in an attempt to slow herself down.

Steve and Bucky worked together to catch her, creating a net in their arms for her to fall into. When she crashed into them, Steve stumbled a little, but Bucky took the brunt of the hit with his metal arm below her lower back. "Thanks, boys."

"Yeah, no problem. Let's get out of here." Steve winced as Bucky helped Kayla to her feet. Once standing she rubbed her lower back, feeling the sting of landing on the metal arm. Steve grabbed Kayla's hand and yanked her behind a corner as more police officers started running their way, "Let's get out of here. Did you do it?"

Kayla discarded her wig and took off running alongside her husband, "I did. Took a leap of faith with which vial they needed. I was right. They took the one I rendered useless, and another empty vial. So I'd say we're in the clear."

Several guards followed quickly behind the trio as they walked down the street. Barnes pulled off his jacket and handed it to Steve, then ducked down an alleyway to separate the group. Steve saw the local police coming around the corner toward the hospital and stopped abruptly, pulling Kayla into a passionate kiss as they passed. Both Steve and Kayla watched the officers trot away before they unlocked their lips, and Kayla exhaled loudly as she fell into Steve's chest. Steve pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, holding his lips there as he watched to make sure nobody else was coming. "I think we're in the clear."

"Which means our work in Geneva is done," Kayla answered as she looked up, pushing down Steve's nose with her index finger so his lips could reach hers. After a chaste kiss, she added, "Let's go back to the kids. I'm sure Tessa would like a break."

"Maybe you want a break too?" Steve suggested as he wrapped his arm around Kayla's shoulders and started walking back.

Kayla snorted, looking down at her feet, "I might just take you up on that. But we aren't done quite yet. We still need to capture the scientists."

"We can call in the Avengers for that," Steve replied, but Kayla just shrugged. Steve's brow rose curiously as he looked down at his girl, "What?"

"Honestly, I'd rather see them dead," Kayla answered quietly as she stared straight ahead. Steve took a deep breath and kept walking, not wanting to have this conversation with his wife in public.

Steve led Kayla into the hotel elevator, holding down the doors closed button so nobody could join them. They stood side-by-side in silence as the elevator rose, occasionally sparing a glance back and forth. Kayla lowered her head shyly and scratched behind her ear, "You know, after all these years, I still get butterflies when you look at me like that."

"Oh?" Steve asked coyly, leaning over to hit the stop button. "Like this?" Steve leaned closer to her, pinning Kayla against the mirrored wall. He lowered his head and captured her lips in his.

Kayla reached forward and grabbed a chunk of Steve's hair as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. She pulled herself flush against him and one of his hands stayed planted on the wall while the other lowered itself down to her back to keep her pressed against him.

"Steve..." Kayla breathed as she tangled her fingers in his blonde hair, "We should get back to the kids." Although she was suggesting they stop, Kayla couldn't bring herself to pull away.

"Between work and the kids we never get a moment to ourselves. Don't finish it before it's over." Steve breathed huskily into Kay's ear and she shivered when he caught her lips again. He moved his hand to hold the back of her head, keeping her trapped against him.

All of a sudden they were both aware of a buzzing coming from Kayla's pocket, a sign that their moment had finally come to an end. They pulled apart sadly so Kayla could check her phone and Steve hit the button to start the elevator back up.

"It's Barnes, he's asking where we are," Kayla mumbled as the doors opened to their floor. Steve grabbed her hand and led her to their room just as Tessa swung open the door.

"Oh! Bucky was wondering if you two got lost!" She said quickly with a smile. Steve leaned around the short brunette to see his son bouncing on the bed, head about to bash into the ceiling. "The kids have missed you guys."

"Mmhm. I'm sure they have." Kayla teased as she moved past Tessa into the room, seeing that Sarah had her entire bed full of colored pencils and papers discarded while her brother got out some of his energy by breaking the mattress.

"Mom! Mom! We went to this really boring street and Sarah spent two hours drawing and I'm _so bored_. Please take me somewhere fun, please!"

Kayla raised her finger to James's face to tell him to stop talking while she gathered her thoughts, "Dinner. We'll get dinner. That's always fun for you." James bounced off the bed and landed on his feet, sidling up next to his mother while Steve sat on the bed with Sarah and watched her draw. Kayla wrapped her arms around her son and leaned her chin on his head as she addressed her husband, "You hungry?"

"Always." Steve teased with a wink, rubbing Sarah's back as she shaded a picture of some flowers she had seen earlier, "You ready for dinner, kiddo?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Well, you're going to eat." Kayla informed the child, "Why don't you organize your drawings so we can go out, okay?"

While Sarah began putting her things together, Kayla turned to look into the other room, seeing Bucky pull on a long-sleeved sweater, "You guys want to join us for dinner?"

"I think we'll pass tonight. You guys go and have fun. We're just gonna stay in and rest." Bucky answered. He leaned his back against the wall and looked out the window. "Today was too easy."

"Don't complain about that. It usually isn't." Kayla pointed at the man, "You guys enjoy your night in. We'll see you in the morning."

* * *

"I'd like the Magret de Canard, por favor." James asked politely and the waiter narrowed his eyes as Kayla's laugh erupted as a loud snort.

"That's Spanish, honey." Kayla chuckled quietly before placing Sarah's, Steve's and her own orders. She handed the waiter the folded cloth-covered menus back and turned to look at her son, "You know what Magret de Canard is, don't you?"

"The picture looked like meat. That's all the matters." James answered with a content smile, leaning back into his chair. He looked from his mother to his father, finding Steve staring blankly out the large windows to the street beyond. "Dad? Dad, you okay? What'cha lookin at?"

Kayla's head darted up to see Steve entranced in his own thoughts, "Steve?"

"I'm not feeling great. I'm gonna head back to the hotel. Can you pack up my dinner and bring it back for me, Kay?" Steve asked quietly, swallowing hard as his focus stayed locked out the windows. "I'll see you in a while." Steve pushed away from the table and leaned down to kiss his wife gently, ruffling his son's hair as he left his family to eat alone.

"Should we go with him? I'm not really hungry anyway. Can I make sure he gets home safe Mom?" Sarah tugged on her mother's sleeve. The little blonde huffed as her mother ignored her, looking toward her brother for direction on what to do.

Kayla watched Steve go, seeing him look both ways quickly before darting back in the direction of the hotel. She narrowed her eyes, realizing something was wrong, but she took too long to understand that her daughter was trying to get her attention. Once Steve disappeared from view, she looked around the restaurant quickly to see if there were any threats nearby.

Kayla finally turned to look at Sarah, finding her chair empty. "Where's your sister?" She asked James quickly, scanning the room again with newfound panic.

"She asked if she could go with Dad. You didn't answer, so I told her to just go quick. That's okay, right?" James informed his mother, quickly realizing he'd made a mistake as Kayla's lip quivered nervously, "Mom, what's wrong?"

Kayla looked over at her son and forced a weak smile that came across as more of a grimace, "Oh, I'm sure they'll be just fine. Just a strange city, you know. We don't really know our way around, and it could be dangerous. I just want to make sure she found him okay." A shiver went down Kayla's spine as she pulled out her phone to call her husband, but he didn't answer.

"Will we be okay?" James inquired quietly as his duck dish was placed in front of him. Kayla asked the waiter for four boxes and the check, and James added bravely, "I'll protect you Mom. I promise, nothing will happen to you, and Dad will make sure nothing bad happens to Sarah."

Kayla nodded thoughtlessly, hoping this whole ordeal was just paranoia, "I know honey. Everything is going to be just fine." Kayla pulled out her phone and dialed Steve again, only to be sent to voicemail once more.

Down the street, Steve's phone buzzed in his pocket, but he ignored it, knowing he had a small window to figure out if it really was the two scientists he'd seen walking by. He looked down a dirty alleyway, and then over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed. He was jittery after making brief eye contact with the man, and he wanted to know where they were hiding to make sure they wouldn't be causing any more trouble.

"Dad!" Sarah's voice echoed behind Steve and he turned to see her slowly jogging toward him, wheezing as she moved. He quickly moved to her, wrapping her into a hug as she panted into his chest. "I tried to catch you! I wanted to make sure you got back to the hotel safe."

"Did your mother say you could come with me?" Steve asked sternly, looking over Sarah's head toward the restaurant they'd come from.

"No. She wasn't listening to me, so I just tried to catch you. You seem upset. I wanted to make sure you were alright." Sarah explained quickly, resting her pale cheek against Steve's red cotton shirt. "You aren't alright. I can tell."

Steve knelt down and rubbed his thumb against his daughter's cheek. "I'm not feeling great, and I appreciate you worrying about me, but you can't run off like that. Your mom's having a heart attack right about now." Steve reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, seeing the eight missed calls were all from Kayla. He pressed his thumb to the screen, bringing it to life and calling his wife back, "Hey, she's with me."

"Steve, I was so terrified, I've been calling you for ten minutes! What if something had happened to her? I've been looking everywhere for you both! You aren't between the restaurant and the hotel." Kayla whined on the other end, her voice breaking as she tried to disguise her anguish as anger.

"I know. I'm sorry. I got lost." Steve lied quietly, holding the phone to his ear with one hand and his daughter to his chest with the other. "We'll be back soon, I promise."

"You better. And you better have a stern talk with your daughter about running off." Kayla snarled and Steve could hear James taunting Sarah through the receiver behind his mother before the line clicked.

"Is Mom really mad?" Sarah asked sadly, knowing her father was less likely to scream at her than her hot-headed mother.

"Yes. But I'll take care of it." Steve answered and Sarah wrapped her arms around his neck, safe and sound in her father's strong arms. It was then that Steve looked up beyond her shoulder and saw Izetta Medrano staring at him with piercing dark eyes and a wicked smile.


	63. Chapter 63

Steve quickly dragged Sarah back to the hotel, making sure not to look back over his shoulder. Showing his fear was the worst thing he could do at this point, but he knew that leading the Medranos back to the hotel, where his wife and child were, wasn't a great idea either.

"Dad, I'm tired. Are we almost back to the hotel?" Sarah whined up at her father as she hung her head back and stared at the night sky.

"We're almost there, keep walking." Steve barked back and Sarah groaned, feeling the ache in her small feet as she tried to keep up with her father's hastened pace. When they reached the hotel, Steve finally allowed a look behind him to see if he spotted the tall woman, but he didn't notice anyone he recognized. Finally feeling at peace, Steve relaxed and ushered Sarah into the elevator. As the doors began to close, he caught a glimpse of dark, curly hair waltzing into the lobby and felt his stomach drop.

When the doors opened to their floor, Steve sprinted down the hall and yanked out his key, opening the door as Sarah trudged her way behind him. He looked up and swallowed his fear, needing to be brave for her, "Come on sweetie, it's time for bed."

Sarah slowly shuffled her way into the hotel room and grumbled, "I haven't even eaten yet."

"Which wouldn't be a problem if you hadn't stormed off without telling anyone."

Sarah winced at her mother's sharp voice, clenching her teeth nervously as she looked toward the bathroom to see Kayla tapping her foot anxiously. "I'm sorry Mom. I told James?"

"James isn't an adult. James doesn't make decisions for you. Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? Wandering off in a foreign country with nobody watching you? Sarah, I would have-" Kayla stopped as she clenched her fist to her mouth, fighting back to urge to cry, "I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you."

"But Dad was sick-"

"Your father is a grown man and he can take care of himself. You are a small little girl who could have been kidnapped. What would we have done then?" Kayla whimpered, feeling the weight of being a parent crush her. "Is this because we haven't been spending enough time with you kids?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure Dad was okay." Sarah repeated and Kayla looked up to see Steve staring out the peephole nervously. Kayla pursed her lips and let her eyes slide back down to the little blonde. Sarah swallowed, pulling her thin hair over her shoulder to keep her hands busy, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I thought I was doing a good thing."

"James is in Bucky and Tessa's room. You should go join him and eat some of your supper. I ordered you chicken strips, remember?" Kayla asked softly, and Sarah's eyes lit up, hugging her mom around the legs before scampering toward the adjoining doors. She tripped a little, but caught herself on the doorframe before barreling into the other room.

"Steve..." Kayla trailed off, pressing her hand against Steve's ridged back as he stared out the peephole. "Steve, what happened tonight?"

"I saw the Medranos. I think they recognized me from stalling them earlier today." Steve admitted, finally pulling away to look at Kayla, "I was following Osvaldo from the restaurant when I realized Sarah was there. When I looked up, I saw Izetta. Her husband followed me to the hotel- possibly her too. They know we're here, and they know we're suspicious."

"What do we do now?" Kayla breathed in, taking a turn at the peephole, but the hallway was quiet, "Should we leave tonight?"

"I don't think we can leave yet, there's more to this than we realize." Steve mumbled, looking over his shoulder. "Izetta knows that Sarah is my daughter, and she knows that I'm a potential threat. I think-"

"We need to eliminate them." Kayla finished easily, straightening up, "Like I suggested earlier. I'm not taking any risks with our family."

Steve huffed out his frustrations through his nose, clenching his teeth in an effort to disapprove, but Kayla was right. "Alright. But we need to get information about Contini. Then we do what we have to do and leave Geneva. It's almost done."

Kayla lowered her head and walked from the door, knowing the hardships tomorrow would bring. Steve looked through the peephole one more time, finding the hallway still empty.

_Tomorrow we end the Medranos and Contini. Then we're only one stop away from going home._

* * *

The sunshine broke through the curtains into the Carters' room, stirring Steve from his slumber. He ruffled his son's hair and swung his legs over the bed as the boy groaned. Steve tip toed over to the other bed and leaned over to press a kiss against Kayla's temple. His wife had her arm wrapped tightly around Sarah, her anger from the previous night melted away into gentle protection. Steve stroked away a stray chunk of hair and Kayla's eyes began to flicker. She looked over her shoulder and smiled, "Hey handsome."

"Time to get going. We've got a job to do."

"Five more minutes?" Kayla cooed softly, nuzzling her forehead against Sarah's. "I don't want to leave yet."

"Kay." Steve said darkly, and she rolled over to meet his glance, seeing his brows drawn. "We have to go."

"Get Bucky. I'll be ready." Kayla groaned, rolling over to plant herself on the hotel floor. She looked down to Sarah, seeing the little girl's blue eyes staring up at her hopefully. "Be good for Auntie Tess today, okay? Stay here in the hotel and draw. No going outside alright?"

"Whaaat? We have to stay inside? That's stupid!" James moaned loudly from his bed by the window, reaching onto the floor to grab his iPad. "Where are we going next? I need to start learning a new language."

"Dad wouldn't like you buying more lessons." Sarah warned and Kayla turned to her son with a questioning glare. James responded with a guilty grin to his mom before staring at his sister and punching his fist into his other palm threateningly.

Kayla's attention was pulled away to Tessa as the little brunette wandered into their room with a yawn. "Well, it's seven-thirty, so clearly its time to be awake." She groaned sarcastically as she pushed her long strands away from her eyes.

"Sorry. We have a job to do. Stay in the hotel okay? There were some... attacks last night. Locally. I don't want you or the kids in danger." Kayla said quietly, but looked between the children so they knew to listen. "Please be good. Promise me?"

"We promise." James and Sarah echoed in unison from their beds. Sarah already had her sketchbook out and was sorting through her colored pencils as James swiped through the various languages he could begin learning.

Kayla knelt down and began rifling through her suitcase as Tessa lingered curiously above. "Katie- might I have a word?"

Kayla looked up to see Tessa's brow raised questioningly, wanting to know what had actually happened, and what their plan was to fix the situation. Kayla rolled her eyes and rose to her feet, leading the shorter woman into the other room where Steve and Bucky were pulling on their boots. Tessa leaned against the dresser, looking over her should to make sure the children were occupied. "So, what happened?"

"The scientists we've been tracking saw Sarah with Steve last night. We have to get rid of them, otherwise the kids aren't safe. Keep them here, don't even go to the pool. We'll be back before lunch. Do you understand?" Kayla explained under her breath as she settled onto the bed beside Steve. "We've been so careful, but if the Medranos can identify Sarah, they'll never be safe."

"It could already be too late-" Bucky started, but Steve stood quickly, causing Sarah to look up from the other room at him curiously. He offered her a short wave and looked back toward his wife and friends.

"No. We get rid of them. We leave Geneva. This never happened." Steve ordered, "Let's get moving. We'll see you in a few hours."

Bucky pulled Tessa into a loving kiss before following Steve, which left Kayla to stand between the two adjoining rooms, looking from her husband to her children. Her lip wavered and she swallowed before chasing Steve and Bucky, leaving James and Sarah in the safety of their swanky hotel.

* * *

Bucky and Steve left the hotel lobby side by side, engaged in a conversation about the United Nations Convention happening in Geneva that weekend. They laughed loudly and Bucky pointed toward a cafe across the street, leading Steve away from the hotel. After the men were gone, Kayla watched Izetta rise from her seated place on a bench to follow them. Kayla smirked and slunk behind her, pulling her sunglasses down her nose as she popped her gum loudly.

She followed the tall woman into the cafe, taking note of where Steve sat alone and where Izetta sat nearby, watching him shamelessly as he played on his phone. Izetta tinkered with something in her purse, and Kayla caught a glimpse of the red vial she'd rendered useless.

The sudden feeling of inadequacy and the fear of failure bubbled in Kayla's stomach as she considered the likelihood of her succeeding. If she hadn't... this could mean the end for her husband. It wasn't a chance she was willing to take.

Kayla took a step closer, but felt the cool metal barrel of a gun rest against the nape of her neck. "I wouldn't move if I were you."

Kayla ground her teeth as she heard the gun cock, recognizing the voice behind her. She stiffened, but didn't try moving. Even a super soldier would fall with a bullet in their head. "Contini."

"Mrs. Medrano says you and your husband have a precious little family. A daughter. A son." Leonardo Contini whispered into Kayla's ear as he gripped her upper arm with his free hand. "I had a son, too. You knew that. And he's dead because of you. I'll kill you. Izetta will kill your husband. And Osvaldo will kill your children."

Kayla's eyes widened, but before she could shriek, she heard screaming from the cafe, and the distraction offered Contini a chance to bash her unconscious with his gun.

* * *

The hotel's smoke alarm blared loudly around eleven-thirty, approximately four hours after Steve, Kayla, and Bucky left. Tessa looked up at the ceiling, then out the window, looking for any sign of a trick, but she was met with a wave of heavy black smoke.

"Kids! We have to go!" Tessa yelped, pulling the blinds shut and running to grab the kids' backpacks and shoving their things into it. She looked up to see James and Sarah staring at her silently, "Come on! The hotel is on fire, we need to leave!"

"Mom said not to leave. She said it wasn't safe out there." Sarah parroted nervously, but something about her expression told Tessa she was mentally preparing to leave.

Tessa handed Sarah her backpack and scooped her tennis shoes off the carpet, "I know. But it isn't safe in here right now. We need to go. I'll take care of you, I promise."

"They said they'd be back before lunch. It's almost lunch time..." James muttered, uncharacteristically shy. "Are they okay? What's happening? What aren't they telling us?"

Tessa paled as a loud knock erupted from the door, "Coming! We're coming!" She yelled as she grabbed James's iPad out of his hand and shoved it in his backpack. "Listen, its complicated, but right now you have to trust me, okay?"

James jumped off the bed and grabbed Sarah's hand, shielding her behind him as Tessa flung open the door, but there was nobody there, only a stream of people merging toward the stairs. She led James and Sarah toward the stairwell and pushed them ahead of her, pulling up the rear to make sure they didn't get lost. They scrambled down the stairs and into the lobby, fighting through the black smoke out into the street.

"Tessa!" Bucky's voice cut through the crowd and Tess stopped to look toward it, trying to find her boyfriend.

"Bucky!" She yelled and suddenly he was beside her, holding her tightly in one hand and James in the other. "What's happening?"

"Get the kids to the UN Convention! Stay there, I'll come collect you guys when I can!" Bucky yelled over the screams, gently pushing Tessa and the kids in the right direction.

James balked, pushing his feet into the ground and halting them with his strength, "No! Where's Mom and Dad? We aren't leaving without them!"

"You aren't leaving without them, you are just waiting somewhere safe until they can get there. They are together. I'm going back for them and we'll all meet you there, okay?" Bucky told the young boy. He saw defiance in James's face, and recognized it instantly. He'd seen it a thousand times before in the face of his father, and it shook Bucky to his core. An explosion shook the building and Bucky held up his gloved left hand as debris started to fall toward Tessa, Sarah, and James, "Go now! Get out of here!" He quieted and pressed a quick kiss to Tessa's lips, "I'll be there as soon as I save them."

Before Tessa could ask what he meant, Bucky was gone and they were being herded away from their hotel by the hoards of panicked people. Tessa grabbed James's hand and he kept a tight grip on his sister. The little blonde looked up and around in terror, but tried as hard as she could to keep up with her brother and Tessa until James finally hoisted her onto his back and gave her a piggy back ride to their destination.

When the United Nations Office came into view, Tessa let out a loud sigh and slowed to a stop, resting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "We made it."

"What do we do now?" Sarah asked as she slid off James's back and came to stand beside her brother.

"We go in." Tessa breathed before leading the kids toward the pillars that would offer them protection from the panic outside. Tessa looked around nervously as others had the same idea they did, looking around for somewhere safe to hide and someone to tell them it would be okay. Tessa looked around, but as she turned, she felt a pinch in her neck and winced. Her hand flew to the spot and found a small puncture in her skin. "Get... help." Tessa whispered as she started to fall, feeling the effect take to her system instantly as James began to scream for somebody to help them.


	64. Chapter 64

**_Author's Note: I've been terrible at responding to comments, so I'm very sorry and I have to catch up!_**

**_FernieRee: _**_Thank you for sticking with me while I've been MIA! Sarah is so precious, and she's so, so important to the story. I'm glad you love her! She's got her dad's good heart and her mother's devotion. James on the other hand is a little shit- he got his father's stubbornness and his mother's recklessness lol_

**_zikashigaku: _**_Oh Kayla's very over Hydra and the toll they've taken on her family. Luckily, somebody very important to her is still on her side to protect her kids._

Kayla's head lulled to the side as she began to feel her wits coming back to her. She tried to place where she was. She wasn't safe in her hotel bed and she sure as hell wasn't safe in Steve's arms. There was a dull ache in the back of her head, and she started to remember Contini's voice taunting her before bashing her skull in.

Could have been worse. She could have been shot.

She crunched her eyes closed, afraid to open them and see the situation she found herself in. She took deep breaths, trying to steady her racing heart so she could assess the situation. She was alive, and she had to see if anyone else was. Kayla slowly pried open her left eye, squishing her face as she slowly looked around. After a moment she opened her eyes fully and looked around, finding herself in a warehouse. She looked to her left and right, realizing Steve was hanging beside her, moments before she acknowledged she was also dangling from the ceiling.

"Steve!" She hissed loudly, looking around to see if anyone would come at the sound of her voice. She waited with bated breath for several minutes until she was sure nobody was coming yet. She looked back to her husband, finding his limp body beaten. His lip was busted and his cheek had a deep bruise forming. His boots were tied together in a vain attempt to stop him from moving on the off chance he was able to escape.

Kayla tried to move her leg to tap him, but found her two legs tied together with chains. They were expecting her to wake up. Steve? Not so much. "Steve! Honey, can you hear me? You gotta wake up!" Kayla begged quietly, looking toward the door again. When nobody arrived, she swung her legs, using all her core strength to reach Steve, if even just a little.

She managed to tap him with her chained feet and he winced, startling the super soldier to life. "Kay?"

"Steve! You okay?" Kayla hissed as he lifted his head enough to see her under his lashes. She tilted her head and her hair fell over her shoulder, revealing her weak smile. "Look at us. In trouble again."

"I don't know who the hell is going to save us this time." Steve's voice cracked as he grumbled. "Buck went to do surveillance. I set the trap. I was captured. I didn't even realize you were there yet."

"Contini whacked me in the head with a gun." Kayla sighed, rolling her eyes as she leaned against the chains toward Steve. "Izetta got you?"

"She punctured me with the red serum. Nothing happened, which explains why I took such a beating after. She pelted me over the head with a metal chair. That's all I remember."

Kayla bit the side of her lip as she stared off into the distance, "That's kind of badass. Nat would have been proud."

"Don't try to make this seem like an admirable thing. I don't know what happened to Bucky. I don't know what happened to Tessa and the kids."

"Contini said they were going to die." Kayla cracked, letting her body fall slack against her shackles, "Hopefully Bucky got away in time to warn them."

"We have to get out of here." Steve mumbled, looking up at the ceiling where they hung from. Kayla followed his line of sight, not seeing much in terms of help. She looked at Steve's shackles, seeing a lock holding his hands together as opposed to the rough metal chain that simply kept her hanging.

Kayla wiggled her slim wrist, trying to break free, and eventually snapped the bone in her thumb so her right hand could slip out. Steve winced at the sound, but Kayla's determination fought off the pain. Hanging from one hand, she reached up and grabbed the chain, allowing her to wiggle her other hand free easily before dropping to the ground.

Steve looked impressed as Kayla reached her non-broken hand up into her hair and fished out a bobby pin from the depths of her hair. She jumped onto Steve, causing him to grunt as he held her weight along with his own from the metal shackles. Kayla wrapped her damaged hand around his neck to steady himself as he bit his lip and reached up to pick at the lock determinedly. She slipped a bit, pulling hard against Steve's shackled wrists, and he whimpered in pain. Kayla looked down at her husband sadly, "I'm sorry, I'm almost done." She shoved the pin deeper into the lock and twisted, listening closely until the clamp broke open and Steve fell to his feet.

He landed easily and allowed Kayla to slip from his side onto the ground. Both free, Kayla took the moment to study Steve, seeing him looking worse than she ever had before. She watched Steve battle the Mad Titan Thanos, but somehow he looked worse here. Kayla reached up and cradled his jaw with both hands, "What's happened to us?"

"We're getting too old for this." Steve answered quietly with a weak smile. "I thought I could do one more fight. I'm not sure if I can now."

Kayla shrugged a little, raking her fingers through her hair, "We're in the thick of it now. We have to finish what we started. The Avengers can take care of the rest." Steve grabbed his wife's hand and pressed a kiss to her fingers, careful not to hurt her broken thumb. Suddenly, a creaking sound was heard, and they darted into the shadows.

The Medranos came charging into the warehouse with Contini right behind them. He held a blaster gun from Wakanda while Izetta carried the empty vial and a syringe. The woman stopped and the syringe dropped to the ground and shattered, "Where the _hell _are they?" She sneered loudly, turning to look at the two men. "_Where are they?"_

Kayla and Steve shared a glance as they hid behind a metal table, watching their captors argue. Contini looked to Izetta's shorter husband, but Osvaldo held up his hands defensively, "I infected the girl. I didn't realize the Americans would interfere with the children."

"We have no children and now we have no test subject. I wanted to run the virus on the woman. This is a disaster." Izetta muttered, her voice dropping nervously as she looked toward the security camera above the door, "We need to see if somebody broke them out. Perhaps the other man. Either way, she won't be happy about us losing them. She wanted them incapacitated, but alive. After the disaster in Rome she won't give anymore chances."

"I lost my son to them. I don't care what the Enchantress wants. I want them dead." Contini snarled, but Osvaldo shivered and moved to stand beside his wife. Contini snorted and smiled deviously, "You two are weak. You have no place among Hydra. It's falling quickly without the Red Skull. Let it go and salvage any chance of life you have left. I'll be spending my time hunting those two assassins."

Contini stormed out to check the security footage, leaving the Medranos alone to study the scene of the escape. Osvaldo looked up at the chains, touching them gently, "Powerful people are protecting the children. We'll never see them again, Iz. Perhaps we too should run while we have the chance?"

"No." She answered shortly with a wobbling jaw, "There's nowhere in the world she can't find us. We live as Hydra or we die as Hydra. There's no escape for us now. Contini will realize that soon enough. I have to prepare, the hospital called. They need my expertise to help with the girl."

"Give us another chance to get the kids." Osvaldo suggested, smiling as he considered it, "They'll come back for their children."

"Assuming their are no more... interferences." Izetta grumbled, looking around their empty lab.

Izetta looked at the chains, then around the room until her eyes fell on a metal table. She slowly walked over to it and her husband followed nervously, watching her carefully as she looked at the table. "What's wrong?"

"This table used to be over there." Izetta admitted, looking around it and finding a loose brick that had been discarded, "They're gone."

* * *

"Somebody help! Please!" James screamed into the United Nations Office, trying to get someone's attention. A young woman in her twenties knelt down and felt Tessa's neck before yelling for an ambulance.

Sarah clenched Tessa's arm and a tear slid down her cheek as she shook the woman. "Please, please don't die. Please, you promised to protect us."

Suddenly an older blonde woman was kneeling beside them, staring at James with terrified eyes, "What's your name?"

Sarah let go of Tessa to grab her brother's arm and he pushed her gently behind him, staring down the older stranger defiantly, "James."

The blonde woman quivered from head to toe as she studied the young boy, especially enraptured by his green eyes, "James? How old are you? Are you from Geneva?"

"Mom says not to talk to strangers." Sarah yelped as the paramedics appeared to take Tessa away. "James, what are we going to do?"

"I'm from New York." James answered firmly, ignoring his sister. "And I'm nine."

The blonde woman smiled weakly, watching as the paramedics loaded up the brunette woman the kids had come with, "Who is she?"

"She's our aunt. We have to go with her." Sarah answered as James narrowed his eyes, raising his chin defiantly at the curious stranger. James noticed she looked familiar though, and made the decision to trust her.

"We'll stay with Aunt Tess. Use her phone to call Mom and Dad." James lowered his head to stare down the older woman as a man in his early seventies came up beside her, looking the two children up and down before pulling the blonde woman away.

"Mom?" The woman whimpered, looking to the man, but he just shook his head as one of the paramedics came up to the children.

"You're with her, correct? Is there another adult we can contact?"

"She has our Mom's number in her phone. Our parents are at a conference, she's supposed to watch us." James explained as Sarah's lip quivered when they hoisted Tessa into the ambulance.

The older woman surged forward, raising her hand to get the worker's attention, "I'll accompany them!"

"Ma'am? Do you know-"

"Yes. Please, I know their parents, let me come with them." James and Sarah looked between the paramedic and the stranger, unsure of what to think or believe.

The paramedic looked to the children and Sarah shook her head, but James studied the woman curiously, "I think maybe we do know you. I remember you, kinda. You can get a hold of Mom and Dad?"

A tall man in a suit came to stand between the children and the woman who tried to help them, "Ma'am, I have to insist you don't involve yourself. I know what you think, but the boy is dead. Your daughter is dead. With all the chaos in the city and the convention tomorrow, I have to insist you and your husband stay here."

"We have to go now, I've already got a chemicals specialist on the way to the hospital to check her out. Make up your mind, Mrs. Ellis, but either way, the children are coming with us." The paramedic informed as she ushered the two kids toward the ambulance. James hopped up easily and reached down to grab Sarah's hand to pull her up with him. The paramedic stormed away from the older woman and her husband, leaving her with a quivering lip as they slammed the doors closed and drove to the hospital.

"Sandra, it can't be. Don't... don't hope its them." Mathew Ellis pleaded with his wife, but she'd already made up her mind, and turned to their aide determinedly.

"Get the car, I'm going to the hospital. I need to talk to the girl. It'll ease my mind. Please."

Mathew lowered his head with a heavy sigh, knowing his wife would chase those kids until she had a DNA test proving they weren't her grandchildren. "You sure you want to do this Sandra. They said they had a mother. You want to see him remarried?"

Sandra stopped and looked over her shoulder, feeling her chest deflate a bit at her husband's observation, "If those kids are my only grandchildren, I want to spend what little time I'm able to with them, before they slip away again forever." She quickly darted out the massive doors behind their aid, allowing her mind to fall into hopeful memories.


	65. Chapter 65

**_Author's Notes: _**

**_zikashigaku: _**_I've loved having them back! They are such an important part of Kayla's story and I wanted to bring them back after all this time. They begin a thread that will slowly but surely unravel what James and Sarah believe to be true. They'll have to learn the truth eventually, but they'll start getting fragments little by little. _

"Bucky!"

Barnes looked up to see Steve and Kayla sprinting towards him where he stood in front of the remains of the hotel. Kayla slid to a stop and began to pant, feeling her legs turn to jelly at the sight of the smoldering building in the darkness. Bucky wrapped his arms around her sides as she began to fall, keeping her from hitting the ground, "They're fine. Well, they weren't in there." Bucky corrected, turning to Steve worriedly as he swallowed hard, "They made it to the United Nations Office. I doubled back for them once I found the lab and realized you two had escaped... Tessa's been poisoned."

"Poisoned?!" Kayla yelped, finding her footing to spin around as Steve and Bucky shushed her. Steve grabbed her hands and pulled her away from the carnage to talk, but she whipped her head to Bucky, not relenting in her questioning, "What happened to her? Where are James and Sarah?"

"I don't know what happened exactly, I saw the paramedics taking Tessa away, and the children climbing into the ambulance with her." Bucky explained and Kayla turned on her heels toward the street and raised her hand to hail a cab.

"What are you doing?" Steve asked, trying to catch up with Bucky's story. He could see his wife was already beginning to form a plan. It had taken them hours to find their way back to the city from the Medrano's lab. They were in great danger and their children were missing and their friend had been poisoned. They were failing spectacularly at their mission and Steve was growing weary of their extended trip.

Kayla looked at the men as a car slid to a stop at the curb, "We're going to the hospital. To help Tessa. To get our kids. And then we are going home." Kayla turned from Steve to Barnes, eyes blazing as she pushed her auburn hair behind her ear, "Contact Sam. Tell him we're done. We tried. We failed. We can't do this anymore, we can't do this to our kids..."

"I'll tell him, just help her. Please." Bucky pleaded, grabbing Kayla's hand with his right and holding it tight as she stared up at him. "If anyone can save her, it's you." Steve just grunted as he slid into the passenger's seat of the car and Kayla pulled away from Barnes, giving a firm nod before slipping into the backseat and giving directions to the Hopitaux Universitaires de Geneve.

* * *

Beep.

Tessa felt something prick her arm and pressed her eyes closed tighter as she winced.

Beep.

"Tessa Davis. You're a small business owner. Have a master's degree in business. Your fiance was killed in the line of duty. He was a cop. And somehow you ended up in Geneva Switzerland with two children who aren't your own?"

Beep.

Tessa scrunched her face as the world became a little clearer. She understood she was in a hospital, but she was immensely aware that a doctor wouldn't be asking her these personal questions. She was in deep trouble.

Beep.

Finally Tessa pried her eyes open and turned to the side, ready to deal with whoever sat beside her. She saw a slim blonde woman sitting in a chair next to the monitor with an iPad in her hand as she peered at Tessa over reading glasses. Tessa blinked several times and realized she knew her interrogator. "You're-"

"Mrs. Ellis, former First Lady of the United States, yes." Sandra answered quietly, leaning back into her chair as she looked over her shoulder to the two sleeping kids on a small couch by the window. "You've been unconscious for hours. The kids have been quiet. They couldn't figure out how to unlock your cell phone. The doctors say you're stable, but the poison is still in your system. One of the United Nations best scientists is working on an antidote, but they think they'll need you here several more days, which leads me to my next question: who are the kids?"

"I'm their nanny." Tessa choked out, taking a staggering breath as her chest struggled to rise and fall. She felt numb and breathing was increasingly difficult. "Their dad works in construction and is here with my boyfriend for a conference. Their mom does the bookkeeping and I came along to watch the kids while they were gone. I have to call them and let them know the kids are okay."

Sandra pulled her glasses off and set them, along with the iPad, on the table beside her. She raised her slim face to get a better look at Tessa, narrowing her eyes as she continued working her target, "You know I was CIA before Matthew became President. You won't be able to keep secrets from me. I'm also paying your hospital bill, so I think you'll answer my questions." Sandra grabbed a cup of water and took a long drink, never removing her eyes from Tessa, "I have reason to believe these two are family. I want you to tell me who they are and why they are here with you. Did you kidnap them?"

"No." Tessa groaned, unable to explain her way out of the situation, "No, I'm watching them for their parents."

"Who are their parents?" Sandra pressed, softening a little. She smiled lovingly at the kids, "My daughter died eight years ago. I'm sure you know that, she was put to death. With all the things that have come to light, my husband and I believe Hydra had a hand in it." Sandra lowered her voice and leaned in close to Tessa, causing the hairs on Tessa's arms to stand up, "The world believes my grandson is dead, as is his father, Captain Steven Rogers. But I know that isn't the case. Steve is alive, as is my grandson and granddaughter."

"Why do you think these kids are them?" Tessa gasped, feeling her spine freeze, "How are you sure they are alive?"

Sandra grabbed the iPad and tapped it to life, swiping her finger along the screen before turning it to Tessa, "Looks kinda familiar right? The boy's a dead ringer. I'm guessing in a few years he'll look more like the Captain America you remember, but the resemblance is uncanny isn't it?"

Tessa studied the old black and white photo, something Sandra had clearly gotten from the military's classified archives. A pre-super soldier serum Steve Rogers, shaking hands with a white haired man in a lab coat and glasses. The profile looked little like the man Tessa knew, but she could see so much of this slim man in young James.

"Please." Tessa whimpered, lulling her head to the side as her chest ached from the slight movement, "I promised I'd protect them."

"We'll protect them. I have ways of getting a hold of their father, but it won't be easy. Let me take them with me to keep them safe." Sandra pleaded, swiping through the tablet again to retrieve another photo. She turned the screen to show Tessa, "I won't let anything happen to them. I swear on my life. It's what my daughter would have wanted." The corner of Tessa's mouth twitched up into a small smile at the picture of Kayla and her parents and Steve. Kayla was dressed in her wedding gown, clenching her mother's hands as happy tears escaped her brilliant green eyes. Tessa couldn't believe how long and white Kayla's hair had been, it looked like the photos she used to see in the tabloids. It was a different woman than the one she called her best friend. Kayla's father had his hand clamped on Steve's shoulder and Captain America smiled bashfully at his father-in-law.

Tessa swallowed, realizing she was passing out again. She looked to Sandra Ellis, seeing the desperation in the woman's eyes.

"Mrs. Medrano, we haven't seen anything like this. It's a virus, but, it's very advanced. Honestly, we're afraid it may be some sort of bio-weapon." The nurse explained as she showed Izetta the information they'd gathered from Tessa over the last several hours.

The tall woman studied the charts, taking note of Tessa's symptoms and vitals and forced herself not to smile. She cleared her throat, "It looks like it. You've kept her in containment yes? It could be terribly contagious."

The nurse paled, looking over her shoulder in terror, "She's had those kids with her since we were called."

Izetta nodded quickly, grabbing a pair of gloves and storming into the hospital room. She looked around, realizing the brunette was alone, "Where are the children now?" She asked the nurse, but the nurse looked just as confused and startled as Izetta.

"I- I don't know. This is a mess. Please, help her, we have to call the police!" The nurse shrieked as she ran out of the hospital room. Izetta clenched her teeth angrily and snarled toward the unconscious woman in the bed.

"Now all we have is you."

* * *

Kayla sprinted into the hospital, skidding to a stop in front of the nurse's station, "Please, my friend was at the United Nations Office and passed out, she was brought here, I need to see her! Her name is Tessa, Tessa Davis." Steve placed his hand on his wife's shoulder comfortingly as the nurse looked between the two disheveled Americans before her.

Her gaze landed on Kayla's broken thumb, but the woman looked like she was ready to dart into the hospital, so she continued typing, "Miss Davis is in intensive care. She can't have visitors right now."

Kayla paled at the news, looking up to Steve for him to get them to Tess. The man stepped up to the plate, and the nurse cowered in the shadow of his burly form, "Please, she was watching our children when it happened. We need to make sure they are alright."

"I'm sorry, but you can't go-"

Kayla darted from Steve's side before he could stop her and she leaped over the bag check for the hospital security and went sprinting down the hall. Steve backpedaled a moment, but several guards approached him while the others chased his wife. "Don't move!"

Steve grumbled, pushing his hair back, "I wasn't planning on it."

Kayla continued her sprint until she rounded a corner and found an unoccupied desk. Looking around quickly to make sure nobody would see her, she cleared the counter and hid beneath it, listening as the boots of the security guards ran by, still looking for her. After a moment, Kayla peaked her head out and found the area still empty, so she crawled out on her knees and began typing on the keyboard, searching for Tessa's room.

She got the number and looked up on the wall to a map of the hospital, studying the places she could hide on the way to her destination. She stood quickly and grabbed a lab coat from a rack before waltzing into the employee restroom. She locked herself into the handicap stall and began scrubbing the grime off of her face. She quickly dried off and flipped her head over, pulling her long hair up into a tight bun on top of her head.

Once she looked more like a doctor than someone who survived a kidnapping, she began her journey to find Tessa. She made her way toward the elevator, waving sweetly at several nurses who she passed. She entered the elevator and hit the button for the eleventh floor, rising slowly until she stopped on the seventh floor and two men in HAZMAT suits entered the elevator with her.

"Ma'am." One of them said as she stared at them with wide eyes. When the man realized she was going to the same floor they were, he turned to her again, "You sure this is your floor?"

"Yes." Kayla answered confidently, pressing her brows together, "I wasn't told we would need so much protective equipment."

"We aren't sure if we need it yet, but better safe than sorry. A bio-weapon is nothing to joke about."

Kayla nodded, feeling the color drain from her cheeks as the elevator doors opened. The two men took a right, but she took a left, making a beeline for Tessa's room. When she got there, she reached for the doorknob, but didn't open it. A voice inside caught her attention.

"Osvaldo, get me another blood sample. We'll need it for the antidote."

Kayla's eyes widened, realizing the Medranos had Tessa. She released the handle and took a step to the right, leaning against the window casually for a moment as they continued talking quietly among themselves. Finally, Kayla dared to look over her shoulder, seeing Izetta and Osvaldo on either side of Tessa, the taller woman tapping away on her tablet while her husband filled a vial with Tessa's blood. Kayla did a double take though, realizing her children weren't in there.

She moved away from the door, her feet taking her quickly to the closest nurse's stand, "Excuse me, I'm here on behalf of the American Embassy to check on the woman who's been infected. I was told there were two children with her?"

The nurse opened her mouth, then closed it, grimacing up at the redhead, "Miss Davis seems to be infected by a bio-weapon. They believe it to be terribly contagious. We have the local authorities on the hunt for the children, but we haven't seen them in hours. She did have a visitor briefly, but she signed in under a fake name. We believe she's the one who took them, but we can't track her down."

Kayla's chest inflated as her nostrils flared. She clenched her fist as her side as she tried to keep her composure, "What was the name used?"

"Tiffany Jones."


	66. Chapter 66

_**Author's Notes: **_

_**zikashigaku: **Things are about to get complicated, but I wouldn't get too excited about Kayla kicking ass. In the end, she's going to be the one who needs saving..._

Kayla managed to sneak back out through the back door of the hospital, discarding her lab coat before looking around. She noticed Steve sitting on a bench across the street, and darted in front of traffic to get to him. When Steve saw his wife, he stood quickly and embraced her, but she just buried her face in his shirt, "They're gone Steve. Somebody took them."

"Who?" He breathed, his mind beginning to turn as he considered their next course of action, "What did you learn?"

"Tessa is in quarantine. They believe she's been infected with a bio-weapon. The Medranos have her. Apparently she had a visitor earlier in the day and they think the visitor took the kids." Kayla rambled, looking around the city street in the darkness. Her lip quivered as she shivered, "The name they used was Tiffany Jones."

Steve raised his chin, eyeing the hospital suspiciously, "Whoever took them knows who they are."

Kayla nodded, fighting back tears, "Should have implanted trackers in them."

"Kay." Steve chuckled and she snarled at him in response. Steve just rubbed her upper arms comfortingly, but he was anything but comfortable in their situation, "We'll find them. And we'll help Tessa."

"The Medranos poisoned her, she's the one they were talking about at the lab. They are after our kids. Who's to say they don't have them?" Kayla argued and Steve sighed, turning his body when a man stared at him a moment too long.

"We have to get somewhere safe. We can't help James and Sarah if we can't help ourselves. I got a message from Buck, he's found another hotel, somewhere cheap that we can hide in. Regroup. Come up with a plan. We'll divide and conquer if we have to. We'll save Tessa and take the kids home." Steve told Kayla confidently as he pulled out his battered cell phone and called Bucky, getting directions to their new roach motel for the night.

* * *

Sandra led James and Sarah into her hotel suite, and James let out a loud whistle as they entered. Matthew Ellis lifted his head at the noise and was startled when he saw the two children with his wife. "Sandra! What-"

"Aunt Tessa isn't doing well. I think she's dying." Sarah informed quietly, looking between her brother and the woman who'd brought them back, "Aunt Tessa said we should go with her."

"Sandra-"

"It's late. You two should get some sleep. There's a second room down the hall on the left. You two can use that bathroom if you want. If you need anything, we'll leave the bedroom door open." Sandra explained, ushering the kids down the hallway. Matthew stood from the desk, trying to get his wife's attention, but her focus was on James and Sarah, "Sleep well. We'll talk more in the morning."

"Thank you." James said confidently, but Sarah squished her face uncomfortably, knowing her parents wouldn't be happy about them going to a strange hotel with strangers.

James closed the door behind them and turned to his sister, who was pulling down the satin comforter of the full bed, "James, I don't feel good about this."

"Sarah... I know her. I can't explain it, but I remember her, somehow." James explained quietly, leaning his ear against the door to listen. He offered Sarah a weak smile, "I'll protect you. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

"You keep saying that. I'm not made of glass." Sarah grumbled with a roll of her eyes, falling back into the comfortable bed with a huff. "I hope Mom and Dad are okay. I'm surprised Aunt Tessa didn't hear from them while we were there. What if... what if they're dead?"

"Sarah!" James hissed, walking around to sit on the side of her bed. He gently pulled up the blanket over his little sister before smoothing back her hair, "They aren't dead. They are fine. Maybe their phones died. And then our hotel caught on fire. If they couldn't charge their phones, they couldn't call. See? I'm sure they are worried sick about us though. I wish there was some way we could get a hold of them."

"If I had a phone, I could call, I have Mom's number memorized." Sarah admitted, closing her eyes slowly before mumbling out the numbers. James listened carefully, then replayed the numbers in his head as Sarah drifted off into sleep. "Night James."

"Night Sarah. Love you."

"I love you too."

James smiled and shut off the light so his sister could sleep soundly. The hotel clock read eleven-fifteen, far past their bedtime. James didn't crawl into bed though, he studied the hotel phone in the darkness before dialing the number his sister had rattled off. After three rings, a cautious voice answered on the other end, "Hello?"

"Mom?" James breathed quietly, careful not to wake his sister. He heard a sob erupt from the other end as his mom cried into the phone. "Mom, it's me, James. I just wanted to let you know Sarah and I are okay. Aunt Tessa is really, really sick though, you gotta go help her."

"I already went to check on her honey." Kayla explained, clenching her chest as she listened to her son's voice. "She's in bad shape but she'll be okay. Where are you? I want to come get you."

"I don't know. Somebody you know came and took us to their hotel. She's somebody I remember. Vaguely. Aunt Tessa said we should go with her. I don't know the name of the hotel, but I can tell you in the morning?"

"No," Kayla breathed, motioning violently for Steve to come over when the bathroom door opened, "No, honey, we need to come get you now. Can you find anything around that has the name of the hotel on it?"

James looked around, "No. But we're safe, I promise. I'll ask tomorrow and then call you back when I know, okay?"

"James... listen to your mother-" Steve started as Kayla held the phone between them, the speakerphone barely louder than the pounding in their ears. But James had already begun to drift off, his mind chasing sleep after the long day.

"Goodnight Mom. Love you guys."

"James! James, don't-" But the line clicked dead and Kayla glared at Steve, ready to take her frustrations with her son out on the child's father. "Where did we go wrong with him?"

Steve smirked, working hard not to release the snort that threatened to escape. "He's got guts. And instincts. They'll be fine."

"Somebody has them. Somebody who knows who they are, Steve, we have to find them, _now." _Kayla snarled, shifting her weight from one leg to the other as the muscles in her thighs flexed. She clenched her fists and focused her mind, preparing to go find her kids.

Their attention was drawn to the door and Kayla sprung into a fighting stance in preparation as the door began to open. Steve stood behind her, not bothering to prepare to fight. He wasn't as wound up as his wife. Bucky pushed open the door and Kayla deflated a little, almost disappointed someone hadn't burst through that she could beat to a pulp.

"We have a bit of a situation." Bucky said evenly, placing his hands up defensively as he approached Kayla and Steve, "I know who has your kids. Sam just called."

Kayla blinked at him, taking the half-second to compute the information before barking back, "Sam knows where my children are?"

Bucky took a deep breath, twisting this real hand against his metal one, "Yeah. Your father called him... to let him know that he and your mother have James and Sarah. They are in town for the convention at United Nations. They saw what happened with Tessa. Your mother recognized James and collected them from the hospital."

"More like stole them from the hospital from what it sounds like..." Kayla grumbled, rubbing her temples. She felt a headache coming on from the spot where Contini had bashed her. "At least they are somewhere safe."

"Honestly, it might be best to leave them there for a few days. While we sort out this mess with Tess and the Medranos." Bucky said quietly, but Steve shot him a dirty look. Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the wall by the window, looking out over Geneva, "Listen, you said it yourself, the lady scientist knows who your children are, I'm sure they poisoned Tess to get to them. They are probably in the most secure place in Geneva."

Kayla turned to Steve and her husband shrugged, waiting to see what her reaction would be. Kayla sighed and Steve looked to Bucky, "Can you have Sam get a message back to them? Tell them to keep the children the next two days. I'll be by to collect them when it's safe. Under no circumstance are they to realize Kayla is alive, do you understand?"

"Yeah." Bucky grumbled, pulling his phone back out and walking to the far corner of the room to make the call. Steve turned to Kayla and opened his arms, creating a safe place for her to fall into.

She accepted his offer and wrapped her arms around his torso, smelling the dirt and caked sweat from the long day. She rubbed her thumb along the thin fabric that was left of his shirt before pulling away to lean up and kiss Steve gently, "We're going to fix all this. Then go home."

Steve pressed his forehead to hers gently and reached up to stroke her cheeks, "I know we will. We're almost done. This is the last mission."

Kayla smirked up at her husband, puffing air out through her nose, "That's not the first time I've heard that."

* * *

When morning arrived, Sandra Ellis's alarm began to blare at nine o'clock, but after she shut it off, she realized she could hear voices coming from the sitting room outside her bedroom door. She swung her legs over the mattress and slowly crept toward the door, but she smiled when she reached the doorframe. Little Sarah had found the hotel notepad and a couple of pens and was doodling away while James sat on the couch with Matthew Ellis, chatting happily.

"I like pancakes, do you think there's pancakes here?" James asked, frowning deeply as his stomach growled fiercely.

Matt laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I think I can get you some pancakes. Sarah? What are you hungry for?"

"I'm not hungry." She droned simply and James just shrugged, explaining that was normal for his sister.

"I'll call down for some room service." Sandra said, catching the three's attention. James beamed at her, and her heart melted, wishing her grandchildren could know who she was. "I'll be right back." As Sandra wandered back into the master suite, she picked up her phone and noticed a missed call from Sam Wilson. She looked over her shoulder, then dialed back the Avenger. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Ellis, how are you doing this morning?" Sam's voice cut back professionally, but Sandra wasn't in the mood for politics and games.

"I'm doing well. How are you? What can I help you with?" She asked tersely, knowing the Avengers would quickly come to take the kids away. She knew it was the right thing, because they could safely get the kids back to their father, but she didn't want them to leave yet. She barely even knew them.

Sam cleared his throat before he continued, "I was actually hoping you could do something for... would you and your husband be able to watch the kids for a few days? Their father is taking care of some business in Geneva with Sergeant Barnes and he feels that the safest place for them is with you. If it isn't too much trouble."

"Yes. We'll definitely watch them. My husband has to go to the convention this afternoon, but I'll stay behind with the kids. Give him my number please? He can contact me when he's ready, but I'll take care of them as long as he needs." Sandra answered, her smile breaking through her voice. After a moment, a thought crossed her mind and her smile dropped, "They said something about their mother... is he remarried?"

Sam didn't answer for a moment, staying silent on the other line, "I don't think it's my place to talk about his personal life ma'am. I'm sorry. I'd expect Barnes to collect the children the day after tomorrow."

Sandra nodded, taking what little information she'd been given in stride, "Thank you Captain. Good luck and thank you for your hard work in finishing off this threat of Hydra."

"It's the home stretch. Soon it'll be easy retirement for all of us." Sam chuckled on the other end before bidding Sandra goodbye and hanging up.

Several minutes later, Sandra emerged from the room and sat down on the ottoman across from her husband and grandson, "So, I just got off the phone with someone who knows your dad. Your dad has asked that you stay with us for a few days. Is that okay?"

James looked from Matt to Sandra and shrugged, "Yeah. Sure. Works for me."

"Umm, no, we don't know you." Sarah piped up from the desk where she drew. She sat down her pen and stared down the blonde woman, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but the person in charge of taking care of us was poisoned and suddenly you show up and whisk us away? It just doesn't seem right. I'm sorry, but what are we to you?"

Matthew gave Sandra a look that very clearly said, "I told you so" but the woman stammered to answer truthfully without giving away the secret of his parentage. Sandra wasn't sure the kids knew who their father really was, and she didn't want to be the one to explain that to them. After a moment, she grabbed for her iPad and began scrolling, finally pulling up a picture and handing it to Sarah, "We are old family friends of your father. We've known him a very long time. I used to watch your brother before you were born."

Sarah stared at the woman, then studied the photo, seeing the two people in front of her posing on either side of her father. He was beaming a smile so bright Sarah couldn't help but grin. The older man, who'd introduced himself as Matthew, clamped his hand on Steve's shoulder fondly while his wife leaned into the tall, blonde man. Steve, the gentleman Sarah's mother always hoped James would be, held the blonde woman by the shoulder gently. Sarah hadn't seen her father that happy often. Usually it was when Uncle Bucky came to visit or when he was having a drink with Uncle Tony out by the lake, watching her, Morgan, and James play. If these people could pull such a beaming grin from her father, then they must be telling the truth.

Sarah nodded hesitantly, "I believe you."

Before Sandra could answer, there was a knock on the door and Matthew rose to answer it, "I think it's time for breakfast."


	67. Chapter 67

Izetta drew a strain of blood from Tessa's arm, examining the contents before labeling the vial. She looked up at her husband with a tight lip, "The infection is spreading."

"Can you create more of it for the convention?" Osvaldo asked slowly. He typed away on his computer, occasionally looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody was listening. "We only have a couple more hours before we have to plant it if we want things to go according to plan."

"I'm not so sure I want things to work out that way." Izetta said sadly, looking down at Tessa in guilt. The brunette's hair clung to her sweaty face as she breathed heavily, hooked up to breathalyzers to keep her alive. Izetta studied her patient without looking up at her husband, "The children are gone. This was all for nothing."

"Then we don't need her." Osvaldo said coolly, wrapping his arms around his wife as he pressed a kiss to her shoulder blades, "Tell the doctors you can't do anything more and let the infection run its course."

Izetta moved her head to toss her ponytail over her shoulder, finally looking away from the girl, "If we do that, then we've officially broken the vow we took as doctors. We'll have taken somebody's life."

"The goal is to take many lives, it's that or we lose our own. She won't give us another chance. We take refuge with the Enchantress or we take our chances against the Avengers. That was the deal she made. We just have to finish this." Osvaldo assured his wife as his pager buzzed. He read it quickly, pushing his hand through his dark curls, "I have to go. Wrap it up. I'll meet you in our lab in an hour."

Izetta nodded, looking down at Tessa. With her husband gone, she allowed herself a brief moment of vulnerability, to speak truthfully in the cold world Hydra had pulled them into, "I'm so sorry. I wish it didn't have to be this way- It's not fair, but we live in a world bigger than us humans now. I'm sorry you have to be the first to fall." Izetta latched up her medical bag and walked out the door, but not before giving Tessa one last sad glance.

* * *

Matthew Ellis appeared from his suite in a navy suit with a yellow tie. His wife grinned and straightened it before smoothing down the satin fabric, "You look very nice, darling. I'm proud of you for coming all this way to support the President's initiative. I'm sorry you'll have to attend alone."

"Well, you have more important things to take care of." Matthew beamed as he looked at James and Sarah, settled into the couch watching a movie. He kissed his wife and bid her farewell, leaving for his meeting at the United Nations.

"Where's he going?" Sarah asked genuinely as she cleared her throat. James shushed her and rolled his eyes, focused on the film ahead of him. Sarah set down her colored pencils and sketchpad to give the older woman her attention as Sandra sat in the chair beside her.

"He's going to present an initiative from the President of the United States. It's a way to help vet people better, make sure they have good intentions... They are trying to snuff out Hydra."

"Hydra isn't real. It's just a myth." James mumbled, never looking away from his show. Sarah swatted his arm, then turned back to Sandra, waiting to hear more.

Sandra's story was done though, and she was curious about what James meant, "Why do you say that, James?"

"Hydra. Captain America. A secret society hidden within the world's most prestigious espionage agency? Sounds like propaganda." James answered, looking over to Sandra for a moment. She was captivated by his green eyes. It was like looking into her daughter's eyes. James saw the way she looked, lost in thought, and shrugged. He turned back to his movie, "Things like that don't happen in real life. They happen in the movies and in the comics, but real life isn't so exciting."

"Not exciting is a good thing." Sarah mumbled, wringing her hands together as she spoke through clenched teeth.

"Naw, I want to be a super hero. I want to be like the Avengers. I met Spider-Man once, he was so awesome. I want to be like that! Like Thor- or- or Captain America!" James said, getting more excited before remembering himself. His mood sobered and he kicked at the carpet with his socked foot, "Dad would never allow it. He never lets us do anything fun."

Sarah rolled her eyes and turned to Sandra, preparing to defend her father, "Yes he does. James's idea of fun is being bad and breaking the rules. That's why Dad doesn't let him do anything fun."

"No, he won't let me do anything. 'James, don't do this! James don't touch that! If you kick that wall one more time, you'll be grounded!' All he does is work and sit around, he wouldn't know adventure if it bit him in the a-"

"James!" Sarah scolded and Sandra stared at him with wide eyes, shaking her head to silently chastise the boy. He realized his error and sunk into the couch, snapping his mouth shut and keeping it that way. With her brother quiet, Sarah continued her conversation with the woman she didn't realize was her grandmother, "So this new initiative, it'll try to find out who is working for Hydra?"

"Yes. It's quite... advanced. A lot of people won't like it, but we've come to terrifying times. We have to protect ourselves and the people we love. I lost someone very important to me- someone important to Matthew and I, because of Hydra. We don't want that to happen to anybody else." Sandra said firmly, willing herself not to cry. She could see her daughter in the children in front of her. She felt angry and sad that she'd missed them grow up and she felt devastated that they didn't know who she was to them. But Sandra Ellis knew she couldn't tell them. She couldn't put them at risk by giving them the idea they were more than they realized. They didn't know who their father really was. They probably didn't remember their mother to realize who she was either.

Sarah took in the information, letting herself fall back into the couch and grabbing her sketchpad from the side table, "I'm sorry. I hope whatever he's presenting today gets the support it needs. It sounds really important."

James and Sarah shared a look, and Sandra just nodded sadly as she stared ahead at the television with them, wiping sweat from her brow, "It really is."

* * *

"Hello! Welcome! Here, have some water."

The attendees of the United Nations Conference signed in and accepted the bottles before entering the meeting hall to begin the proceedings. Eighty-seven countries were presenting their ideas and plans for a better world over the course of four days. Ideas for dealing with Hydra, and famine, and violence, and kidnapping. The world was coming together to try and make a better future. No more galas. No more 'get to know you' parties. Straight to business.

The scene still made Kayla uncomfortable as she manned the registration table. Her long red hair was pulled back into a sight bun at the nape of her neck, and she wore dark blue glasses that shielded her brown contact-covered eyes. She smiled sweetly at the politicians from around the world, some she'd met in the past, but nobody recognized her. She'd occasionally turn to look at the two security guards on either side of the main doors, seeing them laser focused on their job, even though the blonde man would occasionally blush when he caught her looking at him.

"Matthew Ellis, signing in."

Kayla's blood shot cold through her body as she pushed the sign in paper toward her father, keeping her head down as she typed away on her computer. When he reached down to sign the sheet, she allowed herself a brief glimpse of him, taking in how deep his wrinkles had gotten and how frail he was beginning to look. It had been almost ten years, and Kayla had missed out on everything. Kayla had added to the pain and suffering of those years. But she couldn't come back from the dead again. It might kill him.

"Thank you." He said nonchalantly, pushing back the paper without giving her a second look. Once he walked away, Kayla let out a long breath, looking toward Steve and Bucky in warning. The men each gave a firm nod, telling her they saw him, but did nothing else about the matter. She continued greeting the men and women cordially, but Kayla's focus always kept wandering back to the man who's heart she had broken twice.

Not long after, the conference began and Kayla was able to relax, sitting in the back and making sure nothing alarming happened. Three hours went by uneventfully with Steve and Bucky positioned in guard uniforms by the doors. After four and a half hours, the conference was called to a close for the evening. Kayla sighed, ready to go back to her dirty hotel and sleep, one day closer to getting her kids back and going home. Steve faltered a little, feeling tired after standing at attention for hours with a rifle in his hands. Bucky tried to hold back a smile, feeling just fine as his best friend showed his age more than he did.

As the people began to rise and stretch, a loud cough was heard from the crowd. Kayla didn't think anything of it until she began to hear groaning. She looked up and realized many of the people were still sitting, some massaging their heads, some trying to stand and falling back into their chairs. Kayla looked to Steve and Bucky, seeing the confusion in their eyes as well. Steve handed his rifle to Bucky and approached the nearest woman showing signs of distress. Steve knelt down to talk to her, then looked up to Kayla with wide eyes. "I think they've been poisoned." Steve said quietly, his voice breaking through the com for the first time in hours.

Bucky quickly shut the doors, effectively locking everybody inside as the head speaker from Geneva took to the stage again. "Everybody remain calm! We'll have a doctor on the scene in a couple of minutes. For the time being, everyone must remain here until we can be tested."

Kayla looked around frantically, seeing an older woman nearby wobble before passing out into the arms of the man next to her. Kayla rushed over and helped lower the woman, seeing her forehead drenched in sweat. "They have the same symptoms as Tessa."

"The Medranos." Bucky finished, looking around the room, but they were nowhere to be seen, "You said they were called in to look at Tess. They'll be called here as well."

"But if they created the virus, they won't cure anyone. They are the specialists who will get called in. They'll say there's no cure. These people will die." Steve said into his earpiece as he backed away from the woman. He looked over to his wife, meeting her eyes as they began to water beneath her glasses. She looked over her shoulder, seeing her father leaning against the wall, panting for breath.

Steve wanted to comfort his wife. To tell her they'd figure this out, like they always figured something out. He wanted to tell her they'd save her dad. But Steve didn't want to give her false hope, and he didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep. They had to stop the Medranos, but as of now, they were quarantined in the United Nations Office until further notice.


	68. Chapter 68

"Everyone remain calm. Help is on the way!" The Geneva Ambassador said over the microphone as people began to sit down, feeling weak and tired. Kayla looked around, feeling small and helpless. She wondered if she could help them, given the correct tools and time, but she had neither. All she had was her husband and friend, and a group of dying people, including her father.

"Steve. What are we going to do?" Kayla whimpered, finally gaining the courage to go to her husband and leave the act behind. "We have to get out of here."

"No. They are coming to us. We have to stay and fight."

"If we kill them, we'll never know how to help these people." Bucky snarled, walking up and shoving the rifle back at Steve. "We need an antidote."

"We were sent to eliminate the Hydra agents, not work with them. We'll find a way. As long as we keep it contained." Steve argued, but Bucky shook his head.

"It's not contained, Tessa has it, and so does Kayla's father. We have to save them. If we don't..." Bucky argued, cornering his best friend. Steve looked to Kayla, realizing Bucky was right. Her best friend and her father's lives were at stake. She'd lost too much, they couldn't risk losing any more family.

"Alright. How do you want to do this?" Steve asked, and Kayla and Bucky looked to each other, but all they could do was wait.

"Steven."

The trio looked toward the voice, seeing Kayla's father resting against the wall. Kayla stayed back, but Steve approached his father-in-law slowly. When Steve arrived at Matthew, the man reached up weakly and took the man's hand, gently tugging him down to his level. "Sir." Steve started, looking over his shoulder at Bucky, realizing Kayla was no longer with his friend.

Steve knelt beside the graying man, studying his frail form. Matthew forced a weak smile, "Hi, Steve. It's been too long."

"I'm sorry. I've been... busy." Steve stammered. He used all his strength to focus on his father-in-law, knowing his wife was lurking around somewhere.

Matthew nodded lightly, sucking in a sharp breath, "Steven, I'm not going to see the end of this. My wife has your children. I've turned off the password on my phone, you can call her when I'm gone to collect them."

"We're going to fix this. Barnes and I are working on it-" Steve explained, but Matthew just shook his head sadly in response.

"No. I'm old. I've lived through too much. I've lost my child twice. I've been a part of something too big for one man. I was President during some of the most perilous times in our nation's history. I'm too weak to fight this, but I know you will. I just need one thing from you, Steven."

Steve's lower lip quivered as he looked over his shoulder again, wishing his wife was there instead of him at her father's end. Kayla was in the room. She was there somewhere, and Steve knew she'd never forgive herself if she wasn't there in her father's last moments... but he couldn't find her. He swallowed and held Matthew's hand tightly, offering his best hopeful smile, "Anything."

"You let my wife spend time with those children. You tell them who she is, do you understand me? She deserves to have her grandchildren. She lost her only daughter. She's about to lose her husband. You let her have her grandkids." A single tear fell from Matthew's eyes as his shaking hands clung to Steve's firm ones, "You don't have to tell them who I was, but tell them I was their grandpa, won't you?"

Steve's head fell as his shoulders slumped, feeling the weight of the world pulling him down. "I promise."

More tears fell from Matthew's eyes as he nodded, choking a little as his head slumped back, "That's all I need to know."

Steve looked up in panic, knowing Matthew deserved to know the truth, even if it was of little consequence anymore, "Sir, there's one more thing-"

Matthew smiled knowingly as his chest began to slow. "I know she's alive, Steve. As long as you live, so will she. You two have this nasty habit of saving each other."

Steve felt like he'd been shot in the chest as Matthew closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep. He dropped the former President's hands as Kayla emerged from the shadows only to fall to her knees and throw her arms around her father, sobbing into him as he drew his last breath. Kayla pressed her forehead to her father's temple and cried, holding him so tight Steve was sure she'd crush his old bones.

"I love you, Daddy." Kayla whimpered before pressing a soft kiss to her dad's cheek. "I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Steve looked up at the sound of the door opening, seeing Izetta and Osvaldo enter in HAZMAT suits. He looked to Bucky, motioning for the Winter Soldier to hold his ground and not attack, but his attention was quickly pulled to his wife, who looked up with dark eyes filled with hatred. "Kay- we have to be smart about this-"

"They killed my father. I'm going to rip them apart with my bare hands."

"Everyone please line up against the wall, we are going to take blood samples to figure out the extent of the virus." Izetta said loudly as she looked around the room. When her eyes fell on Steve, a flicker of recognition showed in her eyes, and she took a moment to find her composure, realizing they were in trouble. "Please line up, and we'll begin."

Suddenly the door slammed shut and locked behind them, and Osvaldo turned to find Bucky blocking the door with his rifle aimed at the scientist. "Antidote. Now."

"I don't know what you're talking about-" Osvaldo stammered, taking a step back as the Geneva Ambassador coughed and stumbled forward a step.

"Sir, these are the only people in the country with the expertise to help, lower your weapon!"

Bucky shook his head, taking a step forward, "No. Izetta and Osvaldo Medrano are the people who designed the virus. They are the only people with the expertise to help because they are the ones who created it. They work for Hydra."

Mumbles erupted from the room, followed by gasps and choking. Steve stood, facing down Izetta fully. Kayla stayed on the ground, holding her father as she stared at Izetta with wicked eyes. Steve never looked away as he took a step forward, preparing to reason with the scientist against his better judgment. "People are dying. You can save them. You can walk away from this."

"No." Kayla snarled from the ground, catching her husband's attention. "No, you'll die for this. You'll never see outside of this room."

Izetta looked around, taking in the dying people around her before studying President Ellis's body on the ground. She looked from the man to the woman and suddenly it clicked, "You're Kayla Ellis." She looked from the redhead to the blonde man standing between them, "You're- you're Captain America. You're both supposed to be dead."

Kayla quickly produced a small gun from her suit and aimed it at the tall woman, baring her teeth like a wild animal, "Things aren't always what they seem. But as I said, you'll die today-"

Steve and Kayla were suddenly very aware of a buzzing sound coming from Matthew's pocket. Kayla's arm wavered and she lowered the gun, using her free hand to reach into her father's pocket and produce his phone. She narrowed her eyes and studied the text before slipping the phone into her pocket and rising to her feet, raising her gun once again to Izetta. "Antidote. Now."

"Please, we didn't want any of this. She's going to kill us." Izetta pleaded quietly, admitting her own fear through her big eyes. "We don't have an antidote."

"I'll put a bullet in your head and not think twice about it. How can we cure the virus?" Kayla screamed at the woman, standing eye to eye as she stalked her pray, holding the gun out confidently. She continued forward until the gun was pressed against Izetta's chest. Kayla shook from head to toe, using every inch of her super soldier body to keep calm. Finally, she breathed out, "My daughter is sick."

* * *

"I don't feel so good." Sarah groaned as she leaned her head against the soft hotel pillows. Sandra wiped the sweat from her brow, pressing her hand to her forehead to check her own temperature. She felt awful, but was more concerned about the frail child at the moment.

"It's okay darling. We'll figure something out."

"Is she going to be okay?" James asked nervously, showing no signs of illness as he sat on the other bed across from his sister. "What's wrong with her?"

"I think she has what your... what Tessa has." Sandra said cautiously, pushing back her long hair behind her ear, feeling woozy herself. "I texted my husband, he should be back soon."

"The doctor's didn't know what was wrong with Aunt Tess. How will they help Sarah?" James looked out the window, seeing several ambulances rush past. "What's going on?"

"I don't know James. I just hope..." Sandra stopped and smiled, looking up at the boy hopefully, "I know we'll figure something out. Matthew will reply soon."

* * *

"Antidote. Now." Kayla snarled again and Steve took a shaky step toward her, grabbing onto her arm holding the gun.

"What's wrong with Sarah?" Steve pressed, never taking his eyes off Izetta. "Kay-"

"She's sick. She's got the virus. She probably got it from Tessa. Tessa and Sarah are dying. My father is already dead, give me _one good reason_ why I shouldn't kill her right now!" Kayla screamed as she shoved the small gun into Izetta's chest. The tall woman took a shaky breath, and tried to look over her shoulder, but her husband was currently being held at gunpoint by the Winter Soldier.

"Because we need an antidote! Tessa is sick, Sarah is sick, all these people are sick, Kay, we can't fuck this up!" Bucky yelled back and Kayla's demeanor began to simmer. She began to cry, but never lowered her gun, staring at the woman with terrified green eyes. Bucky studied her and Steve, noting that neither parent knew what to do or say. He looked to Osvaldo, then grabbed the man with his metal arm and pushed him toward his wife, "Please. We are asking you to help us. We can protect you from Hydra."

Izetta's face fell as she sobbed silently, hearing another person draw their last breath in the far corner of the room, "Hydra is the front. She is the one we are afraid of."

"Who?" Kayla pressed, shoving the gun painfully into Izetta's chest, feeling the woman's rib cage crack under the pressure, "Red Skull has been captured."

"But Amora is still free." Izetta whispered, allowing a single tear to fall down her cheek, "Amora came to us after the fall of Schmidt. She said if we wanted to live we'd create something to destroy her enemies. We succeeded. She said to bring you and your husband in dead or alive, but we didn't realize why..."

"She wishes to bait the Avengers." Osvaldo offered and Bucky lowered his gun. Osvaldo ran to his wife, grabbing her arm and pleading to Kayla, "You can't save us. But... we can save your friend."

"Osvaldo, she'll kill us-" Izetta countered but he shushed her, talking to the redhead once again.

"We have an antidote. A small shot will do the trick. It'll save those who are left. But you have to be quick." Osvaldo slowly opened his briefcase and pulled out a syringe before handing it to Steve as Kayla continued to quiver and stare at Izetta.

"Why should we trust you?" Kayla snarled, removing the gun from Izetta's chest. Steve looked down at the vial, studying its contents as Kayla continued, "My daughter's life is at stake. I just lost my father. If you betray us-"

"She'll kill us for this. There's nothing you can do that's worse than what the Enchantress has in store. She means to lure out the Avengers. She'll do whatever it takes." Izetta cried, falling to her knees as her husband grabbed her and sunk to the floor, looking up at the former Avengers sadly. Izetta wiped a tear from her eyes, never looking up again, "Save the child."

Steve took the vial and injected the closest woman, breathing a sigh of relief when she took a deep breath and gave a thumbs up. "It's working. Everyone line up."

"Steve-" Kayla said, looking up at her husband, but he ignored her as he went to work injecting all of the politicians in attendance with little thought about how much antidote he was using. Kayla continued trying to break through his focus to get him to listen, "Steve!"

"One thing at a time Kayla, we need to save these people, then we'll go to the kids." Steve ordered without looking, but Kayla and Bucky shared a knowing glance.

"What about Tessa?" Bucky snarled, but Kayla stayed silent, looking between her husband and his best friend. Steve didn't look up, but his fallen smile told Bucky he was listening. Bucky took a step closer to Steve as he continued on, looking at all the people who needed help compared to the little bit of antidote they had left, "Steve... what about Tessa? And Sarah?"

"We have to put the good of mankind over what we want Buck. I know how hard that is to hear."

Bucky snarled a bit as Kayla raised her head, turning to Izetta and Osvaldo curiously, "This is all the antidote you have?"

"We didn't work on an antidote. We didn't need to." Izetta mumbled, looking around at the people who's lived she'd ruined. "You don't understand what you're up against. She's too powerful, even for the likes of super soldiers."

Steve looked up at that, then at the line of people who needed the antidote, realizing there wouldn't be enough left to save his daughter and his wife's best friend. The Geneva Ambassador watched Steve cautiously as he slowed down, feeling a pull between his sense of duty and his heart.

_I have to save Sarah._

Steve swallowed what felt like a brick and stood to his feet. "We have to go. Now."

"What?" Kayla and Bucky asked in unison as Steve darted between them and flung to door open.

Kayla tilted her head to the side, looking at the fifty people who still sat dying against the wall, "Steve, what are you-"

Steve clenched the doorframe tightly, denting the wood beneath his large palms. "I have to put my family first."

Kayla nodded and darted after him as Bucky looked around, realizing what they'd done. He pulled out his phone and called Sam Wilson, "We have a problem. We need backup. Now."

* * *

Kayla pulled up the address to the hotel her parents were staying at on her father's phone by going through his emails. She shouted directions at Steve as he darted full speed ahead in his security uniform, pushing his body to the edge of its limits. When he reached the lobby he slammed through the door, shattering the glass as Kayla skidded behind him, shouting the room number before sliding to a stop to catch her breath. "Steve!"

Steve Rogers didn't hear his wife over the sound of his beating heart in his ears. All he could think about was his daughter, his son, his wife, and the life he could give them if they just got past this day. If anything happened to Sarah... that would be on him. Because he didn't give her super soldier serum. Because he didn't put her health first. He never gave her the choice to be stronger, and if she died, that was on him.

Steve reached the door and pounded on it firmly, needing the door to be answered. He needed to know he was in the right place. He didn't have time for an explanation, he had to find his family.

Finally, Sandra opened the door with a weak smile and Steve sprinted past her, looking around for only a moment before hearing his son's voice down the hallway, "Dad?"

"Where's Sarah?" Steve yelped, skidding to a stop at the open door where James stood. He saw his little girl curled up in the bed, shaking as she wheezed. "Sarah."

"She's really sick Dad. Can you help her?" James asked nervously, looking from his father to the open door, "Where's Mom?"

"She's coming." Steve breathed, pushing back Sarah's sweaty hair before turning to his father, "Can you wait with your Grandma?"

"Grandma?" James stammered, looking from his father to the woman standing by the table, clenching the chair, "You're my... Grandma?"

Sandra's jaw quivered, realizing what Steve had just admitted. James approached her with a quivering jaw, something that looked so wrong on his strong young face. "Yes. I'm your mother's mother."

James sprinted to the older woman and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Sandra pressed a kiss to James's blonde hair and stroked his back. The boy considered what this meant: he had a family beyond what he knew. He had grandparents? The man he met was his Grandpa? Did he have any idea who he really was?

James looked up toward the bedroom where his father and sister were, listening carefully to his father's calming words.

"Sarah. I'm gonna help you, okay? Daddy's here. I've got you." Steve cooed as he carefully injected the antidote into his daughter's arm. The little girl whimpered into her father, barely aware of what was happening as he kept shushing her, "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you ever again. I love you so much."

Sarah's breathing steadied and she fluttered open her eyes, swallowing away the pain, "Daddy?"

"I'm here baby. I'm here." Steve kissed his daughter's cheek and scooped her up, holding her close to his chest as he carried her out into the family room where Sandra and James were waiting. James stared at his father with wide green eyes, waiting for the explanation that Steve owed him.

Before Steve had the chance, Sandra interrupted, "Where's Matthew? He never answered my message, but here you are." Sandra studied her son-in-law, without letting go of her grandson.

Steve stared at Sandra for a moment, holding Sarah close to him as she whimpered in pain. He didn't want to tell Sandra the truth in front of the kids, but there was no way of shielding them from the reality of what had happened. "There was an accident at the convention. A virus-"

Sandra's knees buckled and she broke away from James to wander over to the couch. She collapsed into the cushions, holding her hands to her mouth as tears began to fall. "No. Tell me it's not true..."

"I'm so sorry ma'am. He didn't- he didn't make it." Steve admitted, setting down Sarah next to her brother to comfort the sobbing woman on the couch. As she cried, she wiped away the sweat on her forehead and Steve pulled away, getting a better look at her. "You're infected."

"I've been so focused on the kids. Sarah's been sick. James has been fine-" Sarah cried, pushing back her sweaty hair and leaning away from Steve. After a moment, she wiped the tears from her eyes to look at Steve curiously, "Does he-"

"They don't know. They don't know anything." Steve said quietly, throwing his children a glance, "It's a long story."

"One you'll tell me I hope." Sandra breathed, leaning her head back as her chest rose and fell rapidly. Steve pulled the syringe out of his pocket, finding it almost empty. He remembered all the people back at the United Nations Office who he hadn't saved. Who he abandoned just when they thought they had hope of survival.

But the woman in front of him was dying, and his wife would never forgive him if he let her die...

Steve gently plunged the syringe into Sandra's arm as a stray tear escaped her eye, realizing she was now a widow. "You're going to leave again."

"No. I made a promise that they'd be in your life from now on. I intend to keep that promise." Steve whispered as he pulled the syringe out of Sandra's arm, studying its contents. There wasn't enough to save everyone. Steve Rogers had left all those men and women to die.

Sarah and James ran to Sandra, hugging her from each side as Steve stood in front of them quietly, considering what he'd done. For the first time, he didn't feel like a good man. Captain America would have been ashamed of him.


	69. Chapter 69

_**Author's Notes:**_

_**zikashigaku: **Steve just can't catch a break- the Steve Rogers Story. This really breaks Steve, this is really difficult to deal with and accept, but unfortunately even heroes can't save everybody. Steve is gonna redeem himself though, and come through in a magical Captain America type of way...It just might take a few chapters. _

"What happened here?" Sam asked as he led the Avengers into the conference room in the United Nations Office. He looked around beneath his glasses, seeing the carnage on the far end of the room. It wasn't until his eyes landed on the familiar former President that he softened, "Barnes?"

Bucky stood silently, guarding the Medranos as they stood against the wall near the door. His eyes shifted to Sam for a split second before looking back to the scientists. "I'd rather not say."

"I will." Izetta grumbled, but Bucky just shifted, tapping her thigh with his rifle threateningly. Sam caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and narrowed his gaze on his former partner. Izetta rolled her eyes and clenched her fists, raising her chin defiantly, "I see how it is. Trying to protect each other. Fine. I'll play along. Just know the antidote took off. I'm guessing you can see that Captain..." Izetta trailed off, looking over her shoulder at Osvaldo coyly.

"Cap- we're gonna need some answers. There's over fifty bodies here. We can't just brush this away..." Cassie Lang said nervously as she looked around, but Kate Bishop just turned to look at the pair of scientists.

"We have answers. They work for Hydra. We've known this for months. We knew this was a threat, its why-" Bucky threw her a sharp glance to silence her. She closed her mouth and pursed her lips for a moment, her eyes darting to the group of survivors outside the conference room who were being checked out by doctors.

"We gave up the antidote, even knowing what it would mean for us. We'll tell you what you want to know in exchange for safety- although I doubt it'll do much good." Osvaldo bartered as he looked over Bucky's shoulder to the man in charge. "She's doing all this... for you. For the Avengers. We didn't ask questions, but I don't think it's an accident that we were brought to Geneva."

"What are you insinuating?" Sam asked as he sidestepped Bucky to face the Medranos. "That this disaster was created solely to lure us all out here?"

"Not you Captain." Izetta cooed, smirking as she pushed back her hair, "She wanted him. She was very specific. Poison the girl. Take the kids. Poison the conference. Bring the soldier and the spy back to her- alive. If they hadn't escaped, none of this would have ever happened."

Kate and Cassie shared a glance before turning to Sam. "Where are they now, Cap?"

"Hopefully the hospital. Weak as the sample was, it's enough to kill their friend." Izetta shrugged, feeling no remorse. Bucky's eyes widened in terror and she softened a bit, her mouth twisting up into a sad smile, "There's nowhere to run, nowhere to hide where she can't find you."

Sam grabbed Izetta by the shoulders and turned her around, handcuffing her as Kate did the same to her husband. Once the Medranos were secure, Sam turned to Bucky, "Go. We'll talk later."

"We're done. We're going home." Bucky said lightly as he darted out the door back toward the hospital.

Sam nodded a little, passing the squirming Izetta off to Cassie to be taken to the quinjet. "I know."

Once alone in the room, Sam studied the men and women who didn't make it. Some were toppled over in their chairs, and others were laying against the wall. Sam noticed an obvious trend, about halfway around the room, the antidote was taken away. Barnes had said over the phone that there wasn't enough of the antidote for everyone. Sam had expected the carnage, but he hadn't expected to see such a clear train of thought of who lived and who died. Barnes had been tight lipped, which told Sam everything he needed to know about who had distributed the antidote.

"Cap!" Cassie's voiced screeched before an array of screams chased her cry. Sam darted out into the foyer to see Kate Bishop entrapped into a pillar while Cassie was sinking into the tile floor slowly. When Sam arrived, Cassie turned toward him with terrified eyes, "Do something!"

Sam scanned the fleeing crowd, finally catching a glimpse of a tall blonde woman dragging Izetta and Osvaldo beside her. Sam flung his shield at her, but she released Osvaldo and caught it, turning to grin devilishly at Captain America. She eyed Sam up and down before melting the shield in her left hand, "You aren't the one he'll come for. No offense."

And in a billow of green smoke, she was gone along with Izetta and Osvaldo. Sam turned to Cassie as she began rising above the floor and Kate fell out of the pillar, grasping her chest as she caught her breath. "Where'd she go?"

Sam wandered toward the massive glass doors and looked down at the pile of purple goo that used to be his shield. "I don't know, but we're in some serious trouble now. Call the others. All hands on deck back in New York. We're going to need all the help we can get."

* * *

"Steve? Steve- did you make it?" Bucky breathed into the phone as he continued running. "I'm on my way to the hospital-"

"Buck... there's just a little left. I couldn't have saved them all. Even if I had stayed, I couldn't have..." Steve trailed off, his voice breaking as he turned to talk in private away from Sandra and the kids. The woman somehow found enough strength to put on a brave face in front of the kids, telling them stories about their mother as a child and what little memories she had of Steve and Kayla that didn't have to do with the Avengers.

"You said there's some left?" Bucky said as he skidded to a stop in front of the hospital. "I'm bringing Tessa to you."

"Okay, yeah, maybe take her to the other hotel and we'll meet you there-" Steve stammered, realizing his wife should look at Tessa. He turned and looked at Sandra, realizing she heard what he said. "I'll bring the kids and meet you there."

"There's no time, I'm bringing her to you. I'm tracking your phone. I'll be there in twenty, have the antidote ready." Bucky replied firmly as he pushed through the hospital doors and followed the directions Kayla had described to Tessa's room.

Steve rubbed his face roughly, trying to figure out how to get Tessa to safety without blowing Kayla's cover. What little of it was still intact anyway. Matthew knew his daughter was alive, Sandra probably did too. "I'll see you soon." Steve ended the call and looked toward the door, knowing he needed to find his wife. She'd lost her father, she needed to see her children.

As Steve reached for the door, Sandra's soft voice caught his attention, "You're remarried? The kids talk about their mom a lot. Katie they said. Is she here with you? I would assume you wouldn't have brought the kids to Europe alone."

Steve looked over his shoulder at his mother-in-law and nodded, swallowing down his nerves, "Yeah. She's here. She's been texting me about the kids. I should take them to see her."

"Wait, Mom isn't our real Mom? Are we adopted?" James stuttered, quickly understanding what the adults were talking about.

"No. No, I mean, she's- she's your mom. You aren't adopted." Steve stammered and Sandra paled as she realized what she'd done. Steve saw her panic and assured her everything was fine. "It's complicated. It's fine."

"Fine? What are you not telling us? Who's our real mom?" Sarah pressed, her blue eyes welling up with tears. "Did our real mom die? Is that why we don't see our family? Is that why we've never met our grandparents until now?"

Steve took a deep breath, prepared to plunge his kids into the lie, to preserve the life they believed to be truth. "Your mom-"

A knock on the door cut him off. Steve looked at his watch, knowing Bucky couldn't have arrived that quickly. He looked through the peephole, then back to the kids and Sandra before propping open the door just enough to push his face through. He kept the door from opening with his foot, forcing the person on the other side to stay out of sight. "What are you doing?"

"Steve... it's time." Kayla hissed. She looked up at her husband with sad, accepting eyes and smiled, "She already knows Steve. Let's let her in. Let's give our kids a chance to know what little real family they have. The fabric of this lie is coming undone. Let me in."

Steve sighed and moved his foot, allowing Kayla to push open the hotel room door. She stepped into the light and Sarah and James sprinted toward her, wrapping their arms around her lovingly.

"Mom! I've missed you so much!" Sarah whimpered into Kayla's side as she pat her daughter's head with one hand and rubbed her son's back with the other. Sarah looked up at her mom, then over her shoulder to Sandra, "Are you... our mom? Like our real mom?"

Kayla nodded, tears stinging her eyes as she looked down at her kids, "Yes. I'm your real mom."

Sandra stood slowly, holding her hands to her mouth as she walked toward her only daughter, alive and in the flesh. "I thought you were dead."

"I know. I know and I'm sorry. Witness protection and all that." Kayla lied easily as she swallowed down the tears that tried to drown her. She messed up James's hair as he looked up at her curiously and she chuckled, "It's complicated Kiddo. We'll explain when you're older."

"So, you are our real mom?" James clarified and Kayla nodded, so he asked again, "Is Katie your real name?"

Kayla smirked and shook her head, putting her finger to her lips teasingly before releasing her kids and taking a step to her mother, "It's been too long."

"I was there... I was in the next room, I heard-" Sandra explained vaguely, eyeing the kids before her glance landed on Steve, "I can't believe this."

"Me neither, our parents are in witness protection, which explains so much about our weird life." James muttered as he settled into the couch. "What else do we not know?"

"A lot. We'll tell you when you're older. For now, just know that we are here, this is your grandmother, and everything is fine now. We're gonna be just fine." Steve explained as Kayla and Sandra hugged, not letting go as Sandra sobbed into her daughter's collarbone.

Kayla and Sandra finally settled onto the couch and Steve herded the kids into their room, much to their dismay. Sarah sat on her bed obediently, but James dug his feet into the carpet, whining loudly as his father ignored his babbling, "Dad? Dad what's going on? Why have you been lying to us all this time?"

"James, please, it's been a really hard day." Steve moaned as he placed his face in his palm. "We can talk about this when we get home, okay?"

James crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at his father, "Okay. But is Mom okay?"

Steve swallowed and lowered his head, looking at the ground as he wrung his hands together. "You know Sandra's husband? The man who was here with you this morning? He passed away today. He got really sick and he died...that was your mother's father, so she's having a really hard time, okay?"

James pushed his hair back out of his eyes as he sniffled, "I understand." A tear slid down Sarah's cheek and she clenched her fist in front of her chest, feeling a sting in her heart. Steve leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head before leaving the kids alone.

James looked up at his sister, clearing his throat to get her attention, "You okay, Sarah?"

"Yeah. I just... I feel so sad."

"Kayla... I thought maybe... Your father thought- he was so sure you were alive somewhere. He was right." Sandra wiped her tears and sat up straighter against the couch cushions. "You've been laying low? New identities? How did you survive execution?"

"I had a little help from my friends." Kayla admitted truthfully as Steve came to sit beside her. She pulled her hair over her shoulder and beamed at her husband, "We just... we wanted to give them a chance to have a normal life. I didn't know they were going to save me. If I had, I would have looped you in-"

"If you believed she was dead, so would the rest of the world. It was the only way to save her. The Enchantress and the Red Skull entranced the jury. Kayla Ellis had to die so she could have a chance to live. I'd hoped you'd understand." Steve explained firmly, but his body shook slightly, defying his strong demeanor.

"I do understand, but it doesn't make it any easier. I've lost over twenty years with my daughter." Sandra argued but Kayla cut her off.

"I didn't want to fake my own death again and then come back to life, you'd already been through that. I don't plan on surviving these things, it just kinda happens!" Kayla yelped quietly and Sandra shook her head, not wanting to hear her daughter's excuses for pretending to be dead. Again.

Steve and Kayla stood when they heard a rapid knocking at the door. "It's Buck. He's got Tessa." Steve said as he darted toward the door and Kayla passed him to fling the door open. "Take her to the master suite, Steve, get the antidote! Now!"

"There's not much left..." Steve trailed off, pulling the syringe slowly from his pants pocket. Kayla grabbed it from his hand and pulled the cap off with her teeth as she chased Bucky into the bedroom. He laid Tessa on the bed and Kayla surged past him with the needle in hand. Steve arrived in the doorframe with Sandra, watching as she inserted the syringe into her friend's arm. His expression wavered as he studied Bucky. His best friend, a soldier and an assassin, had never looked more terrified. His eyes roamed Tessa, taking in how she barely breathed after two days in the ICU. Steve took a step forward, but Kayla put up her hand, telling him to stay back. He raised his hands defensively and asked his wife, "What can I do, Kay?"

"I don't have any of my supplies. I just have to pray this is enough. I'm not a doctor, Steve... how much did you give everybody else?" Kayla asked quietly as she removed the needle gently, motioning with her chin toward the cap she'd discarded. Bucky handed her the cap and knelt beside Tessa to stroke back her hair. He pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and dabbed the sweat from her face gently. "She's gonna be okay, Bucky."

"You don't know that." Bucky grumbled. His jaw quivered slightly as he kept his gaze focused on his girl. "Is it enough?"

"We'll know when it works. It's all that's left, so, we'll have to make do with what we have." Kayla answered as she stood and looked at her husband. "You were just guessing at the conference?"

"I'm not a chemist, Kay." Steve wavered, realizing he probably should have asked his wife to administer the antidote. "Will you check on Sarah? And your mom?"

"I'm not a doctor." Kayla repeated with a sigh, but motioned for her mother to follow her nonetheless.

With Kayla and Sandra gone, Steve was left to consider the fact that he could have saved more people. He could have asked his wife for help. "Buck I'm scared. What happens now?"

"We go home." Bucky answered quietly as Tessa coughed a little. He kissed her knuckles as he blinked away tears. "We did the best we could. There's nothing left to do."

* * *

"You had one job. Get the man and the woman, it's really not that complicated, they're mere mortals." Amora hissed at Izetta and Osvaldo as they stood before her quietly. The Enchantress rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, cocking her hip to the side as her mass of blonde hair moved over her shoulder, "Well, aren't you going to amuse me with excuses?"

"We don't want to be a part of this anymore. We were brought in under Schmidt to make a better world. Control is better than chaos. You enlisted our help to play petty games, not make a safer world." Izetta challenged and Amora growled under her breath, motioning with her left hand for Contini to approach.

Osvaldo grabbed his wife and held her as Contini approached with a Wakandan weapon in his hand. He aimed it at the pair and Amora waved her hand toward the Italian man, giving him permission to end it. "Finish them. You've all been nothing but a disappointment."

As Contini began to pull the trigger, he froze in place as marble overtook him from the inside out, the magic of the Enchantress stopping his kill. Before the Medranos could react, their blood turned to stone as they cried out, holding onto each other as their lives met their end.

Amora smirked, never looking back at her good work. She placed her hands on her hips and looked out over the kingdom she'd created for herself, "The Red Skull thought my magic impermanent. We'll see about that."


	70. Chapter 70

**Six Weeks Later**

"Alright, stand by the door! First day of school photos!" Kayla called to her kids, motioning toward the front door for them to pose. James groaned loudly from the kitchen where he finished his breakfast, not amused by his mother's demands. He called back that he didn't feel like taking pictures and swiped a sausage from Sarah's plate.

"James, listen to your mother. She wants to remember all your milestones and stuff." Steve nodded toward Kayla as he shoveled his own pancakes into his mouth. He watched as Sarah wiped her hands on her jeans and stood to join her mother, standing dutifully by the door and offering a beaming smile. Steve gestured toward Sarah with his fork, "See, somebody follows directions."

"Nobody tells me what to do." James grumbled under his breath, looking down to avoid his father's gaze. Steve opened his mouth to chastise his son, but his wife beat him to it.

"James Anthony Carter, get over here or you're not getting lunch money!" Kayla yelled loudly and James's eyes widened as he scrambled toward her to stand near the door, offering a big cheesy smile before holding out his hand for cash.

Steve sighed loudly and shook his head, grumbling something about how withholding food from their children wasn't great. "I heard that!" Kayla called as she grabbed two backpacks and handed them to her fourth and fifth graders. "I love you two. You sure you want to ride the bus? We can take you..."

"We'll be fine Mom. We want to try and do this on our own." Sarah said softly and hugged her mother, knowing Kayla needed it more than she did. "Everything's going to be fine. James knows what he's doing."

"I have everything under control. I'll make sure Sarah has a good seat on the bus and I won't leave her behind after school." James recited as he allowed his mother to press a doting kiss to his head. "I love you."

"I love you both. Be good, okay? I'll be here when you get home." Kayla hummed as she opened the door and waved her children off as James dragged his sister toward the yellow school bus. Once her kids were on their way to school, Kayla turned toward the kitchen to find her husband poking his food dejectedly. Kayla leaned against the table and tapped her fingernails against the wood patiently, "You gonna tell me what's wrong?"

"After everything we did... The Medranos got away. Contini got away. Hydra is still growing and thriving and there's nothing to show for it. Tessa almost died. _Sarah_ almost died."

"And my father did die." Kayla slammed her hand on the table as her eyes began to well up with tears, "You think it was easy? You think it didn't hurt saying goodbye to my mother knowing she was alone now? You think it was easy watching Tessa struggle to heal every day while Sarah got up like nothing was ever wrong?"

Steve stood up, facing down his wife with a tight jaw, "I didn't know how much they needed, if I had, I would have done everything differently. You know that. You know that haunts me every day-"

"_Everything_ haunts you every day, Steve! Every mistake you've ever made keeps you up at night, but you have to move on. _We have_ to move on Steve..." Kayla dropped her head, allowing her thick red hair to fall around her face. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, but kept her face low, "We can't bring them back. I've learned that the hard way. Sometimes people die and we have to accept that. We should have never gone with Barnes."

Steve grabbed Kayla's jaw and lifted it to see her face, massaging her cheeks with his thumbs as he studied her, "I love you so much. I'm sorry I can't let go."

Kayla shrugged, drawing a knowing smile from within, "That's something I kinda know about you. I should be used to it by now."

Steve kissed her lips gently, then grabbed her hips and hoisted her up against him, causing her to erupt into giggles. She lifted up her bare feet off the ground and wrapped her arms around Steve's shoulders as he kissed her again, humming against her, "I still got it."

"Oh yeah? You sure about that, old man? Can you keep up with your young wife?" Kayla growled as she tugged on Steve's hair, licking her lips hungrily as he held her in midair.

"Is this a bad time?"

Steve and Kayla's neck's snapped so fast toward the doorway Tessa questioned if they were broken. Steve lowered his wife to the floor and smoothed back his hair as his cheeks turned red. Kayla smoothed down her thin t-shirt and cleared her throat, "Hey Tess! What's up?"

"I was hoping you guys had heard from Bucky. It's been over a month- not a word." Tessa said quietly as she closed the front door behind her. "I also wanted to see how you two were doing with the kids back in school?"

"We were doing great. Really great." Steve gestured between himself and Kayla as she smiled playfully. Steve winked at Tessa and pressed a kiss to Kayla's hair before adding, "I'm sorry, but I haven't heard from Bucky either. His phone's been off. I don't know where he is."

"I'm sorry, Tessa." Kayla added quietly as she pried away from Steve to embrace her smaller friend. "If we hear anything you'll be the first to know."

"What if he's after Hydra? What if they are going after the scientists again? What if he's-" Tessa rambled into Kayla's chest, but the taller woman just covered her mouth and shushed her.

"He's doing his job, Tess. You'll make yourself sick worrying. If there was trouble with the Avengers, you'd hear about it. They draw quite a crowd." Kayla explained as she leaned her chin on Tessa's head. She sighed deeply before letting go of her friend, "Go to the Brewhouse. Work. Stay busy. There's nothing you can do now."

* * *

"We have to do something. We can't just sit around and wait for something bad to happen again!"

Bucky looked up dully at Kate Bishop as the archer paced the front of the conference room. Sam stood near a holographic screen, looking through all the data they'd collected about Hydra's activities. With the Red Skull captured in their basement, Hydra's activities were erratic. The Avengers couldn't figure out what their goal was, and what their leader wanted.

"They've been quiet ever since the Geneva incident." Bucky muttered, wiggling his metal fingers as he stared at his vibranium hand. His steely eyes looked up to meet Sam's, "I wish she'd just make her move so we could counteract it."

Sam and Bucky exchanged a knowing glance. Captain Wilson knew Barnes was tapped out. He wanted to go back to this Tessa person he'd become so hopelessly devoted to. But Sam needed his right hand man one last time. "We're doing everything we can-"

"It won't be enough." Cassie mumbled from her spot at the table next to Peter Parker. The man was looking through photos of his young son on his phone, trying not to listen to the gloom and doom Avengers meeting. Cassie looked over Peter's shoulder at the photos, feeling herself shrink just a little as a feeling of dread overtook her.

"This is all we've got." Bruce exclaimed from his spot at the head of the table, gesturing the team in attendance: Wanda, Cassie, Kate, Peter, Sam, Bucky, and himself. Everyone else had retired. Time continued on, and the former heroes wanted to enjoy what time they had left. Even Bruce didn't leave the compound on missions. And Sam was tired. He didn't have super soldier serum to keep his bones and muscles strong. He didn't have something flowing through his veins keeping him invincible. He was getting older. They all were.

Sam looked from Bruce to the rest of the team, seeing their resolve weaken from loss after loss. They cut off the head of Hydra, but the woman behind the Skull was too powerful and unpredictable. They needed something more.

A rapid beeping alerted the team to a holographic map that appeared above the glass table. Sam strode toward it, reading the location on the map as the compound's AI said, "Hydra activity detected in Tonsberg, Norway."

"What kind of activity?" Sam asked anxiously, and the AI's voice almost wavered before she answered, "Cosmic activity Sir."

Sam looked to Bucky and the Winter Soldier groaned and slammed his metal fist into the table, "It's her."

* * *

"Activity is abound at the Avengers Compound after reports of a Hydra attack on a small town in Norway. Nobody has been able to get in or out of the small town of Tonsberg since around ten o'clock this morning, when local authorities first saw a dark green cloud swirling above the secluded town. There are no local news stations for the small town, and no one has been able to make contact. We will give the most updated information we can as we learn more about this attack and the Avenger's response. One thing is for certain, if the Avengers cannot defeat Hydra here, there may be bigger issues for the rest of us come tomorrow."

The television screen went black and Kayla looked over her shoulder, holding her index finger between her teeth nervously. Steve just stared at the blank screen with the remote in his hand. His back was rigid and his jaw was set tightly. He held the remote so tightly, Kayla wondered if he'd squish it to pieces. She studied him for a second with her lips pressed to her fist before she finally spoke, "Steve?"

"They're going after her."

"I know." Kayla answered softly, lowering her hand as she broke away to look at the blank screen. She could see his reflection in television and heard the crunch as the remote finally fell to pieces around Steve's massive fist. Kayla took a deep breath and closed her eyes as her stomach dropped, "Please don't."

"Kay, we need to finish this, if the leader is in Norway, we can take her out and destroy Hydra once and for all." Steve barked and Kayla opened her eyes and turned slowly to look at her husband. He was shaking now, almost a hundred years of hatred for one organization that he _just couldn't squash._ Steve locked his blue eyes onto Kayla's deep green ones, seeing worry and dread and acceptance, because she knew he would go. "I have to. They're my friends."

"They're my friends too. I don't want them to die any more than you do, but they can handle this. We can't do the things we used to do, but they can. Have faith in them. They are your team." Kayla pleaded, but Steve's mind was already made up. "If anything happens to you, I'll never forgive you. I'll tell your children you were a no good son of a bitch and tell them not to mourn you-"

"You don't mean that." Steve chuckled, grabbing Kayla's hips and pulling her closer. She scrunched her face, pulling back her neck as he held her close. "I love you so much. Let me finish what I started. So our kids don't have to live in fear anymore. Come on, Kay, let me go."

"I hate you right now. I hate what you're asking of me. You want my blessing, but you aren't going to get it." Kayla snarled as Steve raised his hand to stroke her cheek. She rolled her eyes and turned her head, allowing Steve to kiss her cheek gently. "After everything we've been through, you're going to walk into a battle that doesn't need you?"

"Sam said that she melted his shield to a pile of goop, you think she's going to play nice? They need all the help they can get. I have to do this. Please, let me go." Steve asked again as Kayla turned to finally look into his eyes. She shifted her jaw, but after a moment, she gave the slightest nod, and Steve responded by kissing her passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his, refusing to let him go until she needed to come up for air.

Steve let her go and darted out the door without looking back, calling Barnes to get transportation set up to meet them in Norway.

Kayla fell to her knees and sobbed, wrapping her arms around her torso as she leaned over. The sudden urge to vomit overtook Kayla as she looked at the door bitterly. After a moment of agony, Kayla narrowed her gaze and darted toward the end table, grabbing her phone and dialing Tessa's number. "Hey Tess... yes, I saw the news... yes, yes they are going after- Tessa, I need you to do something for me. I need you to get the kids after school alright... Stop- no. Just pick them up. And promise me you'll look after them okay? If anything happens... call my mom, she'll take care of everything. I have to go- Bye Tess." Kayla hung up and stared out the living room window to the driveway where her van sat.

She unlocked her phone and stared at it for a moment, already knowing what she had to do, but also knowing she had no business asking for such a terrible favor. With a deep breath, Kayla typed in a number she'd memorized, but never saved, "Hey-" Kayla narrowed her eyes at the voice on the other end before adding, "You know he is... and I need your help."

* * *

Steve sped down the road toward the airstrip where Bucky had agreed to pick him up in a quinjet. Under the radar, only Bucky and Sam knew he was coming. Neither of them wanted him to.

"It's too dangerous." Bucky had grumbled.

"It's not your problem anymore, Steve, you've done more than enough." Sam had argued.

Steve ignored them both and told them to send a jet, or he'd find his own way to Norway.

It wasn't until Steve was twenty miles from the airstrip that he realized he was a complete idiot and had no business in joining this fight. He groaned and snapped into the air, "Call Tony Stark."

Tony's face appeared in a hologram in front of the windshield, and the former billionaire had a scowl on his face as he addressed Steve, "You're going to Norway aren't you?"

"Tony-" Steve started but Tony cut him off, "No, I'm talking. This threat is big, like somewhere between Ultron and Thanos big. With the stunts that you three pulled in Europe, I'm surprised they are allowing you back at all. Where's Kayla?"

"She's at home." Steve admitted, sparing a glance at Tony as the genius threw his hands up in frustration before turning back to his work table, "She didn't want me to go."

"I'm sure she didn't, because she actually wants the father of her children to survive. Something I finally understand. Someday you will too." Tony groaned without looking up as he twisted a screwdriver. "Don't go, Rogers. Go home to your wife and kids. Let this be somebody else's problem. You think it's easy? You think I like staying out of everything and pretending to be dead? It fucking sucks, but I do it, because I was given a second chance. Why can't you at least try?"

"I'm sorry Tony, I have to go." Steve said, getting the talk he'd expected. Steve had hoped Tony would talk him out of it. The soldier shifted in the driver's seat as he considered turning around. Nobody would blame him for minding his own business. Even Captain America had told him to stay home.

Steve imagined New Asgard. He imagined families, people who Thor knew. He imagined them running and screaming and dying at the hands of some awful, magical woman. Steve hadn't heard any news of Thor in the past decade, was his old teammate there? If he wasn't, did he know his people were in danger? Steve slammed on the brakes and came to a full stop in the middle of the highway as cars swerved around him, honking their horns. He wheezed anxiously as he looked over his shoulder, flipping his blinker to the right and pulling off the side of the road.

"I can't do this."

Fifty miles away in a fourth grade classroom, Sarah Carter lifted her head from her schoolwork and looked out the window at the sunny sky outside. She smiled sadly, unsure of why she felt so hopeless all of a sudden. Her teacher took notice of the little girl's change in demeanor and sauntered over, tapping Sarah on the shoulder. "Sarah? Are you alright?"

Sarah crunched her eyebrows, blinking away the weird feeling in her gut. She looked down at the paper she was supposed to fill out, a sort of test to see where she was in her skills. Her lip quivered a little and she looked up at the teacher. "I don't think I can do this."

"Why not? It's just a test to see what you already know. There's no pressure. Just, show me what you can do." The teacher said sweetly to the little blonde, offering a sweet smile before wandering on to check on the other kids. Sarah looked down, picking up her pencil and biting the side of her lip, focusing on the task at hand.

"I can do this."

"I can do this." Steve said to himself, tilting his head curiously as the doubt slipped away and was replaced with easy confidence. "I've done this before and I'll do it again and I'll finish this." Steve threw the truck back into drive and sped back onto the highway, not slowing down until he reached the airstrip and the quinjet to take him to New Asgard.

**_Author's Notes: Hey everybody! This section of the story is almost wrapped up- but the adventure is far from over- that being said, I'm almost out of chapters to post so I'm going to be slowing waaayyy down with my posting. I'll post the next chapter when I get five reviews! I love hearing from you all! _**_zikashigaku you are my hero and I've literally posted every day just for you! **Review, Follow, and Favorite! Our heroes are about to face their greatest threat since Thanos, **&ifitseemseasyjustknowitisn'toveryet_


	71. Chapter 71

"This is the biggest thing we've faced since we faced Thanos. A lot of you weren't there. There were a lot more of us then. And even then, we lost a lot of good men and women on the battlefield. This could be like that. I can't promise you an easy victory. Hell, I can't promise you we'll win at all. Hydra took down the most advanced civilization in the world in one fell swoop and they've wreaked havoc against the best of us. But we have to try. If we don't try, they'll take over the world, and we'll pay the price. It's now or never, we are the Avengers. If we can't stop the Enchantress nobody can."

Sam addressed his team bravely, trying to put on a good show as they stood upon the grassy hill overlooking New Asgard. At least, what was left of it.

Cassie sucked in a quick breath as she stood between her father and Hope, all dressed in their Ant-Man, Wasp, and Stature uniforms. Kate Bishop opened her bow, raising her head defiantly as Bruce clenched his one good hand, preparing to Smash for the first time in years. Doctor Strange hovered above Wong and the sorcerers they'd been able to scramble together on such short notice. Shuri clenched her jaw as she powered up her blasters, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over at the thought of her lost family. Peter stood nearby, looking at his lock screen, a photo of him, MJ, and his son. A tear slipped down his cheek as he put the phone into his pocket, praying he'd live to see the morning and his family again. Wanda's hands danced red as she swirled her magic, standing between Bucky and Steve, each holding rifles and ready to fight.

"One last fight?" Steve asked as he studied the burning village, looking for their target.

Bucky nodded and cracked his neck, "Then we go home."

"You two could both walk away and go home now. I see inside your mind, it lies elsewhere. You two won't be the difference between winning and losing today. If anything, you're more of a target. The Enchantress wanted you. The Medranos were very clear about that. I read Sam's debriefing." Wanda explained before meeting Bucky's glance. She shrugged, then turned to look at Steve, "I read Sam's mind. He saw the Enchantress. He heard her words. She was looking for you."

Steve groaned, lifting his chin when he finally caught sight of the Enchantress down below, dressed in green with a pointed headpiece that held back her wild white hair. Steve couldn't help but think she looked a bit like his wife used to, which made him regret his decision even more. "Well, I'd hate to disappoint her."

"Instead you'd rather disappoint your wife. Your kids." Bucky droned and Steve shot him an annoyed look, easily looking right over Wanda's head. Her eyes glowed red and a wicked smile broke across Amora's face.

"Let's go. She wants to talk." Wanda interrupted, and began floating down the hill toward the center of time. Steve and Bucky turned to Sam and he put his hand up, telling them to stay behind and keep the perimeter. Captain America led his team into New Asgard, looking around as they did.

Doctor Strange approached Sam and whispered, "Something isn't right. She has dark magic. She doesn't mean to talk."

"What choice do we have? We don't know what we're dealing with." Sam retorted through his teeth as they came to a stop before the Enchantress.

She leaned all her weight against her left hip, looking the Avengers up and down with unimpressed green eyes. "That's it? That's all you brought to defeat me? Well, I have to say it's a little disappointing. Won't be much of a fight." Amora shrugged and readjusted her green gloves that came to her elbows, "So who's the leader? You? The not-so-super solder?" She addressed Sam cruelly, looking up only to add, "Where's your shield, Cap?"

"What do you want?" Doctor Strange asked pointedly, cutting to the chase and avoiding the sorceress's banter. He looked around quickly, noting there was not a single soul around, "Where are the citizens of New Asgard?"

"Dead. Nobody was strong enough to battle me. No Odin. No Loki. No Thor." She snarled bitterly before laughing sweetly, "Apparently Queen Valkyrie has disappeared. The greatest of all warriors, nowhere to be seen."

"The greatest warriors fell at your hand. My country. My people. My _family._" Shuri sneered, aiming her gauntlets at the sorceress, "I will fight you until I rejoin them. For Wakanda."

"What do you want?" Bruce asked, taking a step forward in front of Shuri and Amora beamed at his presence. Bruce shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, "You want a fight, we'll give you a fight. We'll destroy you and Hydra along with you."

"Oh, you can have Hydra. That was Schmidt's dream, not mine. I was promised the galaxy, do you really think he could give me that?" Amora taunted, taking a step closer. The team looked down, seeing the ground glow green as she approached them. She smirked, looking up at Bruce from beneath thick black lashes, "Slaughter them all. I don't care. You can have your world. I only want one thing. And I'd hoped you all would be enough to bring it. I thought destroying Wakanda would get his attention, but no, no he didn't come. I tried to capture his friends, but somehow they keep slipping through my grasp." Amora looked up to Steve and Bucky, who had their rifles trained on her. She rolled her neck and turned back to Sam, "What does a woman have to do to summon the God of Thunder? Tell me, how do I find Thor on this wretched planet?"

"That's her play. She's looking for Thor." Scott Lang's voice cut through the comms. Steve and Bucky looked at each other, then looked at Kate Bishop, poised a little farther down the hill with her bow up and ready. She was quaking in her boots.

"We don't know where Thor is. We haven't heard from him in years, we don't even know if he's alive!" Bruce called out, keeping his distance as Amora continued getting closer to Sam and Doctor Strange.

Amora groaned and rolled her eyes, throwing her head back in frustration, "You people are insufferable, and there's nothing I want more than to wipe you off this pathetic planet!" She screamed at the Avengers and they were thrown back by the force of her magic, crashing against the destroyed buildings that used to house the Asgardians.

Sam's wings ejected from his pack and he took to the sky, holding a gun in each hand. Doctor Strange wielded a golden shield as several other sorcerers did the same and Spider-Man shot a web toward a nearby church, pulling himself to stand on the side of the steeple. Amora looked around as the Avengers surrounded her. She studied each of them, taking in their various powers before turning to Wanda, "You're powered by an infinity stone."

"I got my powers from a stone many years ago, it doesn't power me now. I'm my own power." Wanda twisted her fingers and wrapped her magic around Amora and the Enchantress allowed it for a minute, pretending to struggle before easily pulling out of the Scarlet Witch's grasp. She turned and moved her hands toward the Earth, pulling roots up through the Earth and wrapping them around Wanda's legs, up her torso and eventually wrapped around her hands, forcing them closed before winding up to her mouth and stopping her from being able to cry out.

Sam shot at Amora but she just raised her arms and the bullets bounced off her green gloves, then she used her left hand to summon an ax leaning against a broken wall of a building. Once she had a weapon, she hurled it at Sam with terrifying speed and he darted out of the way, but she summoned it back and he flew to the side again, narrowly missing being chopped in half. Bruce charged her, swinging his left hand at the Enchantress, but she dropped the ax and moved her hand to hold his neck without actually toughing him. "Nuh uh. None of that Doctor Banner." She squeezed and the Hulk squirmed in her grip, trying to pull away, but he had no leverage as she lifted him off the ground without lifting a finger. With a grunt she discarded him to the side, then turned back to the sorcerers before her, ready to fight.

Hope and Scott enlarged and grabbed each of her arms. Amora was startled at the sudden appearance of more adversaries, but before she could react Cassie had a hold of Amora's long hair and yanked back her head. Stature looked up toward the hillside and yelled desperately, "Hawkeye! Now!"

Kate shot her arrow into Amora, but the sorceress vanished from Scott and Hope's grip, sending the arrow straight into Cassie's stomach. She stumbled back a step as Scott grabbed her and helped her to the ground, "Cassie! Cassie no, no no, NO!" Cassie grabbed her dad's arm as Hope quickly dropped and shrunk the arrow before carefully pulling it from Cassie. She looked at Scott and held his shoulder supportively as he held his daughter, occasionally looking over her shoulder at the Enchantress who had already turned her attention to the others.

Shuri blasted the Enchantress with gauntlets, but Amora just rolled her eyes and twisted her hands in a circle. Shuri grit her teeth and shot again, but this time the current ran through her body and she fell to the ground in pain. She groaned as she looked toward the Enchantress, who smirked and turned toward the archer in the hills beyond the Asgardian homes.

Kate dropped her bow and screamed as Amora shot her open palm towards her, sending a heap of bricks toward the archer. Kate dove out of the way, rolling down the hill closer to the fight as Sam continued to shoot at the woman. She reached toward the sky with both hands, grabbing the air and ripping Sam's wings away, causing him to plummet to the ground onto Doctor Strange and Wong.

"Captain, there's nothing more we can do. She's too powerful for us." Doctor Strange breathed as he helped Sam to his feet and looked around as Amora easily took out most of his sorcerers with one swoop of her hand. Sam dropped his head and sucked in a breath before looking up at his friends.

"Get out of here. The rest of us won't have the chance." Sam choked into his comm, seeing he wasn't strong enough. The Avengers weren't strong enough. Not anymore.

Steve looked over to Bucky and saw a single tear slip down his cheek before he picked up his gun and went charging down the hill toward the Enchantress. Steve watched as Bucky shot at her, screaming loudly before he was swatted to the side with a flip of her hand. Steve felt his stomach drop as Amora turned to him, ready to fight. He was the last man standing. Again.

Every step Amora took toward Steve shook the Earth itself. He rose to his feet and began walking toward her, feeling no need to rush to his death. She laughed as he reached her, reaching forward and pulling Steve toward her so his nose was inches from hers, "I've waited so long for this. Schmidt talked of nothing else for years. He wanted to kill you so badly, but he failed. Not only do I get to do the one thing the Red Skull couldn't accomplish, but I get to wave it in Thor's face when he finally does arrive. Because he will. I'm sure of it."

"You don't know that. We don't even know if he's alive. If he doesn't come, then what are you gonna do?" Steve gasped, and Amora grinned when she felt his breath on her face. She looked away for just a moment, taking in the Avengers she'd so easily defeated.

"I'll destroy Earth. And then take over the galaxy, one planet at a time."

"Not today you won't!"

Spider-Man swung toward Amora, knocking her away from Steve and giving the soldier a chance to escape. Peter webbed up Amora quickly, darting from one building to another as she tried to pull free of his webbing. She began growing more and more frustrated, then began to glow green until she burned through the webbing. She cryed out as she raised her hand toward the harbor, yanking hard and washing Spider-Man out of the sky mid-swing and onto the ground beneath her feet. "Pesky insect!" Amora raised her leg and prepared to slam down on Peter with her green-heeled boot.

Peter squished his eyes closed as he prepared to die, awaiting the impact, but all he heard was a high pitched whirring noise followed by a grunt and a thud. Peter opened his eyes to see Amora was gone, so he sat up and looked around, searching for her until he saw bubbles in the waters of the bay. He was immediately taken aback when he looked over his shoulder again to see an Iron Man suit floating behind him. Peter scrambled to his feet as the other Avengers watched the suit carefully, waiting to see who was inside.

"Rhodes?" Sam asked questioningly, but the suit just turned to him silently, giving a firm nod, then looked up quickly and blasted Amora back into the water as she tried to climb out.

Steve approached slowly. There was static in his earpiece, followed by the familiar voice warning, "You tell anyone, I'll lay you out right here."

Steve nodded as a smile grew across his face, honored to fight along the great Tony Stark one more time, "Understood."

Peter's lip quivered before he heard the same static in his earpiece. He stared at the red and gold suit for a moment, then pulled off his mask to get a better look as he raised a shaking hand, "Thank you. I appreciate the assist."

"I'd never let anything happen to you Kid, don't you know that by now?" Tony quipped, then turned to face Amora as she finally pulled her soaked body out of the water and onto the dock, panting as she faced down the newcomer.

"That... was very rude. And you'll pay for that." She huffed, raising her hand, but an arrow shot into it from behind a rock in the hillside, piercing her skin painfully. She cried out and turned, but didn't see anyone. The young archer was quivering behind the bleeding Stature, and her bow was nowhere to be seen. As Amora raised her hand to blast toward the rocks, the arrow exploded and she screamed out in pain, more angry than ever before. "Where the hell are you? Come out and show your face!"

Steve strode forward, taking the lead as Banner nodded a little, understanding what was happening. He took one thundering step forward to stand beside Steve as the Iron Man hovered beside them. Amora looked between the trio and chuckled a little, "Oh. This is going to be good."

Steve leapt at the sorceress and she flung him to the side, but the distraction allowed another three arrows to find their way unexpected into her back. She screamed at the feeling of the metal in her body, and the arrows froze her blood from the inside. As she howled, Iron Man blasted her a few steps back and Hulk stormed toward her, distracting her enough for Iron Man to fly down and pummel her into the ground. She laid there for a moment groaning, but the four knew not to celebrate yet.

While Amora was distracted fighting, Kayla stormed onto the battleground, skidding to a stop beside Cassie and her father, "Hey, hey, it's okay. I got this." Kayla hissed as she pulled out a small machine and hovered it over Cassie's wound. Scott stammered for a moment, trying to find the words to express his disbelief, but Kayla just grinned up at him as Cassie's skin began repairing itself. "Hey, Ant-Man."

"Didn't think you were coming." Scott answered after a moment as Cassie took a deep, easy breath.

"I never let Steve go into battle without me. Plus, I brought help." Kayla moved quickly from Cassie to sit on her haunches beside Shuri, using her super strength to yank off the burned gauntlets. She smiled at her friend, occasionally looking up to make sure her husband still had things under control. At this point he hadn't even realized she'd arrived.

Suddenly Amora began to laugh from her place on the ground and placed her hands flat against the grass, shooting magic through the ground into the feet of the Avengers, holding them in place. "You can beat me down, but you'll never win. No magic you can conjure, no weapons you can produce, nothing you can throw at me will defeat me. I'll just keep getting up again and again and again." She floated up from the ground, green mist swirling around her as she faced down the team of heroes.

She caught a glimpse of the new player and reached forward, pulling Kayla toward her. She studied the auburn haired super-soldier for a moment with a sly smile before chuckling, "I remember you. The Captain's wife, isn't it? How foolish of you to be here with him, leaving your kids unattended. With you both gone, they won't be that hard to track down." She grabbed Kayla's neck with her long fingers and squeezed, causing Kayla to choke a little.

"You touch my kids, it'll be the last thing you ever do." Kayla sneered as Amora lifted her above the ground. Kayla tried to grab at the green gloves, but they shocked her when she touched them, taking away any chance of escape.

Amora glanced over Kayla's shoulder to Steve, who stood frozen in place between the women and the others. She studied him for a moment, then looked back to the woman in her grasp, "I'll be the death of you, you know. There is no escaping me."

Kayla gasped through her crushed windpipe, but she was suddenly aware that the sun had disappeared. She swallowed hard, looking up at the sky, "Never say never." She croaked out as a spear shot through the sky towards Amora. The Enchantress dropped Kayla and bent down, flushing her back against the ground before floating back to her feet and looking up at the sky with scared eyes for the first time. "No."

A winged horse flew down from the darkened sky with Valkyrie crouched on its back. When the woman reached Amora, the blonde backed up a step, staring at the warrior with terrified eyes as Valkyrie leapt from her horse and brandished a sword. "Amora the Enchantress. Haven't seen you in a while." Valkyrie looked around, seeing all the damage the sorceress had caused, "Where are my people?"

"You left them to die." Amora sneered, stalking toward Valkyrie, but she pushed her sword against Amora's neck and raised her brows questioningly.

"You want to try that again?"

Kayla scrambled away, practically climbing Steve's legs to get to her own feet. He wrapped his arms around his wife and turned them so his burly back was blocking Kayla from the fight, "What are you doing here?"

Kayla looked up and smirked, "What, are you surprised?"

"No." Steve answered, trying _really_ hard not to smile, but Kayla caught a glimpse of it anyway. "Last mission?"

"Every time you say that, you add ten missions onto my life, and I'm kind of over it." Kayla teased quietly, and both were distracted by the sound of Valkyrie yelling behind them.

"Tell me where they are!" She screamed at the Enchantress, but Amora just pursed her lips and looked away, ignoring Valkyrie's threats. Valkyrie growled deeply, touching the sword to Amora's neck now, "I don't want to do this. If I kill you, we'll never find the Asgardians. Tell me where they are, and you can face him."

Amora's eyes brightened at that and her red lips broke apart to show her sparkling teeth. Like a wild animal offered a glimpse of its prey for the first time in months, "When he arrives, I'll tell him where his people are. Where the people he left behind are. If he cared he would have stayed."

"It's more complicated than that, and you know it-"

"I was banished from Asgard. I was thrown out of my home. I just wanted a chance to prove myself-" Amora bartered but Valkyrie just stepped closer, never taking her eyes off the treat. Doctor Strange surged forward and used the Eye of Agamotto to wrap magic around the Enchantress and keep her trapped in place while she awaited punishment.

Kayla and Steve took a step back as Banner followed. Iron Man flew backward, giving the two women by the docks a little more space. "What's happening?" Kate Bishop squeaked as Clint Barton ran up to her and collected her, pulling her farther away. Peter helped Cassie up and they backed away to join Shuri, who was working diligently to cut Wanda out of the vines.

"If I had to guess, I'd say the cavalry's coming." Clint muttered as Kate looked up at her teacher and smiled. Steve turned to his old teammate and grasped his hand, pulling him into an premature hug. Clint smiled up at Steve, "Cap."

"Barton. Aren't you a little old for this kind of combat?"

"Aren't you a little dead to be fighting wars?" Clint answered back and Steve opened his mouth to retort, but he had no excuse.

Suddenly their attention was drawn to the sky as lighting flashed around them. Kayla gripped Steve tighter, praying they could snuff out Hydra once and for all. As the clouds opened up, a rainbow portal broke through the sky and delivered Thor Odinson onto the ground before Amora and Valkyrie.

"Enchantress!" Thor bellowed as he stormed toward the woman. "Where are my people? What have you done to Earth?"

"I had fun with it." She chuckled, but Thor just pressed Stormbreaker to her green dress and she groaned, "Well this isn't fun at all."

"I'm not in a gaming mood. Valkyrie brought stories of your destruction. You've tormented my friends, you've slaughtered my allies, and now you'd hidden away my people. Give me answers, or you'll pay the price with a swing of my ax." Thor threatened, but Amora's face dropped and she spread her fingers, magic flowing around them.

"You may not be in the mood, but I'm not done playing." She snarled as her feet left the ground. She thrust out her wrists and captured the Avengers in her hands as Thor stood in front of her, staring up at her angrily. "Now, where were we?"


	72. Chapter 72

"Let them go, Amora. It's me you want, not them." Thor said evenly, setting Stormbreaker on the ground before raising his hands and approaching the Enchantress.

"No. No this is exactly how I imagined it. You. Me. And all of them. Your precious Avengers." Amora said through pouty lips before dropping everyone to the ground with the exception of Steve, Bruce, Tony, and Clint. She yanked the four toward her with one hand, using the other to wisp magic around them, "They're no Warriors Three. Clearly they need _you_." She chuckled quietly as she studied them, her eyes glowing green.

Kayla darted forward but Wanda caught her feet and held her in place. Kayla turned around angrily, but Wanda shook her head ever so slightly, reminding Kayla to hold her ground. Kay lowered her head submissively, knowing she couldn't save her husband even if she wanted to. The only thing that brought Kayla solace was that Amora seemed more interested in holding onto the Avengers then actually hurting them, but was only a matter of time before she used her magic for something worse than freezing them in place.

"These two are human. Average, boring old humans, they aren't too much fun." Amora snorted as she discarded Tony and Clint to either side. Clint landed on his chest near the rest of the group while Tony was flung into a stone wall near the edge of the buildings.

Iron Man fell to the ground with a clank and didn't move, finding the suit completely drained of power. "FRIDAY, I'm gonna need you to reboot, like, now!" Tony snarled as he tried to move about the suit, but he was trapped and couldn't see what was happening outside. No answer came from his AI, "FRIDAY? FRIDAY wake up! Damn it!"

Clint rolled over and groaned, realizing his ribs were broken. His younger protege appeared beside him to shield him from the threat, holding her bow in one hand and Clint's hand in the other. She looked down at him, smiling despite the grave situation they'd found themselves in. "It's been too long, teach."

"Yeah, yeah, I should have stayed home with the kids. Lila starts senior year this week and Laura will kill me if I die." Clint groaned, turning his face to see Banner and Steve still in the Enchantress's clutches. Barton nodded toward them and whispered, "You see the redhead getting too close, you shoot her in the legs, you understand me?"

"What?" Kate asked incredulously as she looked down at her mentor, "You mean, Miss Ellis?"

"No, I mean Mrs. Rogers. If she gets within ten yards of the fight, you shoot out her legs, take her down. She can yell at me later." Clint mumbled as he clenched his eyes closed and turned back to look at the sky. Kate Bishop stared at him for a moment, then turned her attention back to Amora and Thor, bow at the ready in case she had to follow Clint's instructions.

"Let them go, Amora. I won't ask again." Thor warned, taking a step closer, but Amora just studied Steve and Bruce intently, clenching her fists a little tighter to pull them closer. Banner looked at Thor, silently begging his friend to save them. Steve just glared at Amora with piercing blue eyes as she studied them, her own eyes glowing magical green before realization hit her.

"They have the same thing in them. It's so weird, so _magical." _Amora hummed as her green eyes settled on Bruce, letting Steve fall to the ground, "I wonder what would happen if I took it out?"

Kayla's eyes widened, knowing what would come next, and she darted before Wanda could stop her, but suddenly she was struck in the calf by an arrow and went down hard on her chest. She winced at the pain and cried out as she rolled over, holding onto her leg before ripping out the arrow. She looked up angrily at Hawkeye before laying her head back down on the ground. She looked up the sky as she shook, chastising herself for being glad she couldn't see what was happening around her. She squished her eyes closed at the sound of a massive thunk, undoubtedly the Hulk being dropped to the ground. Steve was next. Steve.

_Steve._

Suddenly, a shadow fell over Kayla and she opened her eyes to see Amora standing over her with her hands on her hips and a bored expression written across her face, "Well, that was dramatic." Kayla's eyes darted around quickly, finding everyone frozen in place again, even Thor. There was nobody to save her.

Kayla swept her legs under the Enchantress and the sorceress fell to her back and Kayla scrambled over her, getting in one good punch before Amora reached out and grabbed Kayla's hand mid swing. Kayla pushed with all her might and Amora smiled, impressed by the mortal's determination. Kayla didn't feel the pain that radiated from her leg, all she felt was her burning core as she used all her super strength to dig the bitch into the Earth away from her family.

Suddenly, the Asgardian grew bored of Kayla's efforts and got the upper hand, rolling over and pinning Kayla to the ground. Kayla shoved the leg that hadn't been shot between herself and Amora and pushed with all her might, keeping the distance between them as Amora's eyes widened, "You have it too. Just like they said in the trial. You are a clever girl, aren't you? Escaping execution. But look at this, you still found your way back to me."

Amora lifted her hand as a knife appeared in it, preparing to slice Kayla's throat. She heard Thor yell out in confusion and looked up to see the Avengers unfrozen because of her distraction. Amora realized Stormbreaker had flown away from the God of Thunder, something that shouldn't have been possible. No one else should have been able to wield it. Amora followed its path into Steve's hand as he skid to a stop beside her. He swung the ax toward Amora, stopping inches from the Enchantress's face. "Get up, or we'll see if Asgardian magic is powerful enough to put your head back together with your body. No more games."

Amora's expression was a combination of startled and stunned, but most of all impressed. She followed his directions in a sort of daze, rising to her feet and taking a step away from Kayla toward Thor. Steve clenched the ax tightly as he held it inches from her face, and backed her into Thor's hands. Thor grasped her tightly, and Valkyrie moved in and put a metal clamp on her neck, stopping her from using her magic. Despite being powerless, Amora ogled Steve with wonder, "Wow, aren't you a special one. I'd love to get my hands on you." She leaned forward, but Steve just pressed Stormbreaker to her neck, drawling the slightest bit of blood before backing away.

Thor shoved her into Valkyrie's arms so he could face her, snarling so close she could feel his hot breath and smell the sweat that dripped from his face, "The only reason you aren't dead right now is because my people are somewhere out there. You'll wish you were dead by the time I'm done with you."

Amora's head lulled to the side dully to stare at her captor. After a moment though, she smirked, "Is that a threat or a promise?"

Thor lifted his hand and summoned Stormbreaker from Steve's hand, then threw his ax to the sky, summoning the Bifrost. "Take her to the farthest corner of the Nine Realms. I'll meet you there. We'll find them." Valkyrie nodded, looking around at the Avengers before shoving Amora into the portal and beaming her into the vast realms of space.

Kayla laid her head back against the ground as Steve sauntered over to her, panting heavily as he reached down and pulled her up. She leaned against him, holding all her weight on her good leg as she looked around, "Did we win somehow?"

"Yeah, I guess we did." Steve said as he looked around at his old teammates, "She's gone."

"I'm sorry for all the trouble she caused you. If I had realized sooner what was happening, I would have been here. You won't be bothered by the Enchantress again." Thor promised as he clamped his hand onto Bruce's bad arm, causing the massive man to wince.

Shuri approached slowly, rubbing her hands together painfully as she limped alongside Bucky, "You said the Asgardians were not destroyed? Does that mean Wakanda may have had the same fate?"

Thor nodded once, looking up at the sky as the sun began to emerge from the storm clouds over Norway, "There's a good chance Amora transported them to another realm. Finding them could be a challenge, but we're already searching for my people. I'll make sure we search for your people as well."

"You mean they could still be alive? All of them?" Kayla gasped and Thor just stared at the sky, squinting into the sun. He didn't want to make promises he couldn't keep.

"It's possible. As I said, I'll keep an eye out. I better get going though, the Guardians are expecting me back. We have a lot of searching to do." Thor raised his ax and summoned the Bifrost again, disappearing and leaving Earth to the rest of the Avengers.

Steve panted and dropped his head, clearing his throat before looking at his wife. "It's over."

Bucky smiled, pushing back his hair before patting Sam on the back a little too hard, "It sure is. And I'm officially retired."

"Hey, hey, we still have Hydra to mop up..." Sam started, but Bucky just threw his rifle on the ground and walked to stand next to Steve and Kayla. Sam sighed and nodded, "We can handle it. You all have done enough. Go home."

"About damn time." Bucky released his breath and looked to Steve thankfully, "I can't believe we made it out of this alive."

"So we're going to enjoy it. We've finished the mission." Steve looked to Kayla, "We've righted our wrongs."

Kayla lifted her shoulders a bit and grunted, but didn't say anything to counter or agree with Steve's claims. She looked around the deserted Asgard, then turned to Shuri and Wanda who approached. Wanda wrapped her arms around Kayla, and the taller woman fell into her, embracing her in a hug that was a little too tight. Wanda didn't complain though.

When Wanda pulled away, Shuri took her place in Kayla's arms and Kayla whispered in her friend's ear, "Find them. I can't... help you."

Shuri pulled away and smirked, gesturing toward the bit of blood on the ground from Kayla's leg, "I think you've done enough Kayla. Both bad and good. We'll take it from here."

"We won't stop until we find them." Wanda added, her eyes glowing red. "When Carol gets back we'll begin the search. Go home to your family. We won't need you again."

Kayla nodded understandingly, looking to find Steve helping Clint into the quinjet. A bit of static in Kayla's ear caused her to turn, trying to figure out who was trying to speak.

"Ummm, hello? Did we win? I didn't come all this way to get left by the side of the road. I came out of _retirement_ for this."

Kayla hobbled her way over to the brick wall where the Iron Man suit sat dormant. She collapsed onto her ass and smacked the metal with her fist. "We won."

"Yeah, we always do. A little help?" Tony's voice echoed through the comm and Kayla leaned her head against the grey bricks, smiling to herself.

"Gimme a minute." She responded, watching Steve as he trotted out of the quinjet toward her with Bucky by his side. Kayla bopped her head a little, feeling dazed and overwhelmed, "We're going home."

* * *

"You know, I can help with those ribs of yours Barton. Come out to the lake for a few days, relax." Tony offered as Clint flew them home. The archer snorted and looked over his shoulder to meet Tony's eyes.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll just head home. Get back to the wife and kids." Clint looked ahead toward the passing clouds, but the smile never left his face, "I can't believe you've been alive all this time, you son of a bitch."

Tony chuckled and leaned against the wall of the quinjet. His dark eyes scanned the horizon knowingly, "I'm glad I stayed in the shadows. We're getting too old for this."

"One last ride for old times sake. Just like you said." Clint responded, his voice cracking a little. "It's what Nat would have wanted."

"I'd say we avenged her today. With Schmidt imprisoned by the Avengers and the Enchantress worlds away, Hydra will fall to pieces. This was the last piece of the puzzle," Tony swallowed, realizing this was probably goodbye, "Which means we all fall back into the shadows." He turned and looked to Steve and Kayla, finding the woman fast asleep against her husband's shoulder as he played with the seams of his gloves thoughtlessly. He looked up and nodded a little, careful not to shift his wife too much.

"I think we've traumatized our kids enough for a lifetime." Steve said just above a whisper, causing Clint and Tony to laugh loudly. Bucky shushed them from his seat across the quinjet, shooting Tony a glare before looking back down to his phone. Tony just sighed and sauntered away from Clint to address Steve.

"Someday you're gonna have to tell them the truth. Clint's kids know. Morgan knows. I know they are young now, but you can't hide who you are forever. Then all the scary things they've seen will make sense." Tony's eyes roamed to Kayla's leg, "How are you gonna explain that?"

"We won't bring it up." Steve responded easily. He heard Clint grumble something to himself from the pilot's seat, but didn't ask him to reiterate.

Steve looked up at Tony Stark, but he just shrugged. "Someday you'll regret not telling them. It's hard watching your kids think you're something less than what you really are. Especially for you."

"My ego isn't that big." Steve growled back, and the vibrating stirred Kayla from her sleep, causing her to open her eyes lazily. She smiled thoughtlessly at Steve, then turned her head to face Tony, not quite registering his "I told you so" expression. After a few moments, Kayla closed her eyes again and dug her head into Steve's neck to get comfortable before falling into a fast sleep.

Tony took a seat on the other side of Steve and stared ahead, meeting Bucky's gaze, "All I'm saying is- after everything you've done, don't you want your kids to know? Wasn't it all for them?"

Steve chewed over Tony's words but didn't respond. The rest of the flight back to New York was silent, but the men were comfortable with the lack of conversation. Clint landed in a clearing half a mile from Tony's cabin, and Kayla finally awoke at the sound of the engine turning off. She looked around, then out the cockpit to see they were back to the real world. Clint rose from his seat and embraced Tony in a hug, "You take care, okay?"

"Same to you Barton. Same to you." Tony replied, patting the archer gently on the back. "You ever need anything, reach out okay?"

"I'd say to do the same, but no more Avengers business, understand?" Clint chuckled and pulled away, nodding toward the opening back of the jet. Tony saw Pepper drive up in her car and roll down the window to offer the team a short wave. Tony took that as his sign to leave and bid the Rogers and Bucky goodbye before joining his wife. Before they drove away, Morgan's head appeared in the backseat window, waving feverishly to the Avengers until she was out of sight.

"Alright, ready to go?" Clint called from the pilot's seat as the hatch closed again. Steve stared blankly out the front of the jet and Kayla stared at him. Bucky looked at both of them, then turned to Clint and asked Hawkeye to please take them home.

* * *

"Mom? Mom!" James hollered as the red door to the Carter house creaked open. He darted from the kitchen and practically tackled his mother into the door. Kayla wrapped her arms around her son and he held her tightly, not letting go even when his father tried to gently pry him away.

"Mom!" Sarah yelped as she followed her brother to the foyer, wrapping her arms around Kayla's free side before turning her attention to Steve, "Dad!"

"Hey Munchkin!" Steve called as he scooped her up and held her against his chest easily, even at nine years old. "Sorry we had to take off in a hurry. Last minute business meeting."

"What are you two doing up? It's late?" Kayla asked as she looked up to Tessa, who just put her palms up defensively. "It's almost eleven, it's a school night!"

"They wanted to wait for you. We weren't sure where your meeting was at... or when you'd be home." Tessa explained quietly, looking Kayla and Steve up and down. Although their clothes were clean, they were clearly worn and beaten. There was someone very important missing from their arrival though. Tessa took a step back and her lip quivered. Kayla smiled at her weakly, but it wasn't a sad smile, just a tired one. Tessa grabbed her purse from the counter and moved toward the door, "I should be going home."

"Thank you Tess. I really appreciate you getting the kids on such short notice. We won't need to travel for quite some time now." Kayla offered and Tessa looked at her hopefully, earning a firm nod from Steve. Kayla released James just enough to pull Tessa into a one armed hug and allow the woman to sneak past her out the door. Then she turned to her son and gave him a strong squeeze, "Now, to bed. School starts early in the morning. Let's go!"

"Yes ma'am." James answered and released her as Steve put down Sarah, and they both stormed up the stairs, followed by a limping Kayla as Steve stayed behind. He looked out the window, seeing the sun set on a Hydra-run world. When dawn broke, his work would officially be done.


	73. Chapter 73

Tessa hopped into her car and drove back to her apartment, playing the radio quietly, but mostly listening to her own thoughts. Bucky was fine. He had to be fine. Steve and Kayla would have been far more shaken up if something had happened to him. They said it was over. Bucky was fine. He was with the Avengers, finishing his work.

He was fine.

Right?

She parked her car outside her apartment building and turned off the ignition. She sighed loudly, puffing air out through her cheeks as smoothed back her messy brunette hair. She'd been working when Kayla called, and scrambled to find a replacement so she could get the kids from school at three. She was disheveled and tired, having spent the evening entertaining the questioning Carter kids, who justifiably wanted to know where their parents were.

Tessa ambled up the stairs to her apartment building and fumbled through her purse to find her apartment key. Before she could locate it, she realized her apartment door was cracked open. She studied the slight gap for a moment, considering the options. The option she hoped for was Bucky.

But Tessa had to be realistic. She was a target now. Hydra knew who she was. She'd laid awake at night for six weeks, wishing she wasn't alone. After spending several months at Bucky's side, she couldn't sleep alone. It had been hard. It had been painful, both physically and emotionally. She so desperately wanted to open the door and find Bucky inside, but in the pit of her stomach she felt something terrible brewing.

She grabbed her phone, considering calling Steve. Steve would rush down and take out whoever was in her apartment, but she didn't want to bother him. He looked tired and happy to be home. _No. _Tessa decided to face the threat on her own. She shoved her phone into her yoga pants pocket and pulled out her mace, ready to attack. She slowly pushed open the door with her foot, taking a deep breath before entering the dark apartment.

"Hello?" She called into the darkness, quickly realizing it wasn't so dark after all. Several of her candles were lit and carefully placed on surfaces around the living room. She squinted her eyes at the figure in the candlelight, a smile breaking across her lips as the bouquet of orchids mixed with lilies came into view. "You could have closed the door. You about gave me a heart attack."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it hadn't latched. I haven't been here long." Bucky admitted, taking a step closer to Tessa as she met him in the living room. He passed her the flowers and she smelled them, but her eyes stayed locked on the Winter Soldier.

"It's been a long time, Sergeant." Tessa muttered as she set the flowers down on the couch. Bucky held her hands, and Tessa rubbed her right thumb along the cool metal of his vibranium hand. Any fear she once held for the weapon was long gone. Any fear she held for Bucky was gone, and in its place was a devotion Bucky hadn't ever experienced.

And he wasn't planning on letting her go.

"I'm not leaving again." Bucky promised, lifting her left hand to press a soft kiss to her knuckles, "I finally get to retire."

Tessa nodded rapidly, practically shaking from her need to kiss him. "You've served long enough soldier."

Bucky groaned under his breath as he lowered himself to his knee, grabbing Tessa with his real arm as she began to stumble backward with her hands to her mouth. "The only person I want to serve now is you. If you'll have me."

"Are you- are you asking me..." Tessa stammered and Bucky chuckled, reaching into his pocket with his vibranium hand to pull out a vintage diamond ring with a large, single diamond. Tessa felt her knees wobble and Bucky raised the box higher for her to investigate. "Yes," She breathed and he released her hands to pull the ring out and gently slide it on her left finger with his right hand before standing and hoisting her up into a loving hug. She smashed her lips to his for a moment before slinging her arm around his neck and studying her left hand.

* * *

**Six Months Later**

The Guardians of the Galaxy, accompanied by Thor, searched the universe after getting no information from Amora about the whereabouts of the Asgardians and the Wakandans. Finally, they located a small, unidentified planet in the farthest edge of the realm where Asgard once stood. Upon it they found the missing Asgardians and brought them home before taking off into the stars to see if the people of Wakanda were so lucky.

**Three Months Later**

Shuri got a call from Carol Danvers, telling the Princess that the King of Wakanda had been found. The people of decimated Wakanda were returned to Earth, where Shuri was reunited with T'Challa, Nakia, and their young son. Okoye quivered when her feet touched the Earth, overwhelmed with joy that they'd returned home after exile for so long. The news of their return traveled throughout the world, and snuffed out any remaining Hydra in the shadows. The organization had fallen without the Red Skull. The world was being put back in place.

**Six Months Later**

The place where Wakanda once stood was rebuilt to its former glory, and they began mining for vibranium again. Bucky took his fiance to see the place that saved his mind, and introduced her to Princess Shuri and King T'Challa. There was no sign of Hydra anywhere. The Avengers were celebrated for their efforts. James Barnes enjoyed every moment of the retirement he had waited so patiently for.

**One Year Later**

Steve shifted as he stood to the left of his best friend, shifting the cuff links of his sleeves as he waited patiently for the ceremony to begin. "Stop shuffling, you're making me nervous." Bucky droned under his breath, feeling his stomach flip as the music began to play. Steve chuckled at his friend's nervousness, but his own breath was taken away at the sight of his wife walking down the isle in a beautiful red dress. She smirked and winked at Steve as she approached, taking her spot on the other side of the priest before looking back down the aisle. Sarah wandered down the white carpet in a little white dress, tossing petals in front of Tessa. The bride beamed as she approached, thankful for the wonderfully odd Carter family who brought Bucky into her life. She met Bucky's gaze and noticed he was trying not to cry, which only made her smile more. He took her hands in his, his metal hand covered by his familiar leather glove, and they looked to each other before the priest began.


	74. Chapter 74

**Three Years After the Fall of Hydra**

James Anthony Carter had his first kiss when he was thirteen years old. It was short and sweet, out on the dock overlooking the lake. It happened approximately forty-five seconds after he realized that Morgan Stark was not actually related to him and his sister.

Kayla thought it was adorable. She said they were just kids having fun while Steve's cheeks turned beat red when Sarah tattled on her brother.

Bucky teased that Howard Stark would have been so proud. Tessa smacked her husband in the gut, shaking her head to warn him to stop talking.

Tony warned it would _never _happen again, and if anyone brought it up again it would be the last thing they ever discussed.

"Oh Tony, it's fine, they're children." Kayla chuckled from where she leaned against his couch. She ran her hand through her jaw length red hair and let her eyes wander toward the front door. "It's not like they'll get another chance."

"Does she know you're leaving?" Steve questioned, looking up at Tony and Pepper with sad eyes.

Pepper and Tony exchanged a knowing glance and she lowered her head, her strawberry blonde hair falling around her face. Tony cleared his throat and rubbed his red eyes, turning to his friend, "She knows we're talking about it. She knows why. She's seventeen, we can't keep that from her-"

"Why are you leaving?" Steve kept his gaze locked on Tony's seeing the facade of bravery fall away as he started to cry. Steve scrambled to his feet and stood beside Tony as Kayla looked over her shoulder to where Tessa was sitting on the fireplace, watching intently. Steve grabbed onto Tony's upper arms as Pepper raised her head, sniffling back tears. "Tony? What's happening?"

"Pepper, uh, Pep's really sick Cap." Tony managed, looking up at his wife as she forced a brave face. "Heart failure. The doctors are trying everything they can, but... after the Extremis disaster, we don't really know what we're dealing with. It's been over twenty years, we thought we were out of the woods, but I don't think we realized the extent of the damage it did."

Kayla surged forward, looking out the glass door to make sure the kids were still down by the lake. She turned around and Tony sighed, already knowing what the woman was going to say, "I can fix it. You know I can. Let me help you."

Tessa bumped Bucky's arm and motioned toward the door. Bucky looked from his wife to the others and reached down to help up Tessa, "We'll go check on the kids. Make sure they aren't at third base by now."

Kayla shot Bucky a dirty look as Steve looked from his friend to wife, not seeming to register what Bucky had insinuated. With Tessa and Bucky gone, Kayla approached Tony and Pepper, "I know what happened with Extremis, my father saw you there." Kayla breathed, swallowing down the memories of that Christmas Eve. Tony Stark saved her father, even though he had very good reason to save his CEO. "I can fix this."

"Kayla..." Pepper trailed off as Tony rubbed her arms supportively, "I appreciate the offer. I really do... but I've been toyed with enough. I don't want... I don't know what'll happen."

"I've never had bad results." Kayla murmured and Steve lowered his head, understanding what Pepper was insinuating. Kayla looked to her husband, studying the way his blonde hair was looking more and more grey and how his shoulders didn't seem as strong as they once did. "I can save you."

"I watched my husband die." Pepper replied, and Kayla looked up to meet her eyes, red rimmed but confident. "You've done so much for this family. You really have. But sometimes you just have to let nature take its course. This could take years before I go. Let me live out the rest of my life normally."

"But I can save you. You could live-" Kayla argued and Steve finally looked up at his wife. She turned to him, wanting him to agree with her, but he didn't. Kayla deflated a little, shaking her head as her eyes began to well up. "You don't have to die."

"Everybody dies Kayla. It's part of life. You could give me a few more years with your magic serum, but that doesn't mean I'll live forever. I don't want that. Nobody wants that." Pepper explained, taking a step forward and wrapping her slim arms around Kayla. "Morgan is done with school. We're going to travel using the SHIELD nano-mask. We're going to enjoy what time we have left together."

Kayla pressed her face into Pepper's neck and held the woman tightly, feeling the tears slip down her face, "I understand." Kayla's muffled voice pressed into Pepper's blouse. She pulled away and smiled weakly, "We'll miss you all so much. Thank you for everything you've done for us."

"Well, the feeling is mutual. But we want to spend time just the three of us. Go tour Europe. Introduce Morgan to some good looking European men she can make out with. Away from the younger Mr. Rogers." Tony jested, staring at Steve playfully, "He's too young for her."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Tony." Steve replied with a grin and they both looked out the front door to see Tessa walking back up the steps. She opened the door and smiled, waiting to see if it was safe for them to come back in. Steve straightened up and cleared his throat, "So, you said something about steaks on the grill?"

"Yeah, I'll, uh, get dinner started. Give me a hand, Cap?" Tony asked as he broke away from Pepper, leading the blonde man out the front door to the outside grill.

Tessa turned and called for Bucky to bring the kids in for dinner. When Barnes arrived, he bent down and kissed her, holding her to him as she squirmed, "Bucky! There are children present..."

"Could be a few more if we..." Bucky leaned in and whispered into Tessa's ear and she blushed, turning six shades deeper as Sarah pushed open the door and wandered past them. Tessa pulled away quickly and smoothed down her sundress, clearing her throat as she tried not to grin like a schoolgirl.

"Where's your brother?" Kayla called as she grabbed plates from the drawers and began to set the table, already knowing where everything's place was. When Sarah didn't answer, Kayla stared at her daughter a little longer, noticing the twelve-year-old's face was pinker than normal, "Where's James?"

"James, we have to go in for lunch." Morgan laughed as James kissed her again, deeper this time as they sat on a log out of view of the cabin. She didn't seem to mind, leaning into him as she grabbed onto his shaggy hair to keep him close. "I can't believe my first kiss is with a child."

"Screw you. I'm thirteen." James hummed into her and she giggled, pressing her hand to his chest. She nipped at his lower lip for a moment, then pushed him away panting. James looked at the older girl hungrily, but his wolfish grin vanished when he realized Morgan was crying, "What's wrong?"

Morgan's breath was shaky as she exhaled, finding her composure, "I'm leaving... we're leaving." She admitted, looking up at James as he stared down at her. Despite the four year age difference, James had grown slightly taller than his childhood friend. Morgan was well aware of her father's theory that the super soldier serum aged the boy faster than the average human. Morgan was also very aware that Steve and Kayla worked very hard to convince their son that he wasn't different. As much as she hated to admit it, and knew her father would _despise _it, Morgan found Captain America's son quite handsome. That made her feel even more guilty when his perfect smile melted into pure devastation.

"You're... leaving? Where are you going? How long will you be gone?" James stammered, looking up to see his mother standing on the porch looking for him.

Morgan ran her fingers through her hair as she huffed, leaning over to place her elbows on her knees, "We're going to travel Europe, I believe. Dad wants me to get out and see the world. I don't really know how long we'll be gone." Morgan began to cry a little hard and James put his arm around her, pushing her hair behind her ear to look at her face. She wavered a bit before adding, "My mom's dying."

At that, James wrapped both his arms around her and let her cry into her chest, unsure of what to say to the mourning girl who'd stolen his heart.

* * *

As the sun began to set, Kayla and Steve rounded up their kids to go home. Bucky and Tessa had bailed out after lunch, feeling like it was no longer their place to spend the last bit of time with the Starks. Sarah's lip quivered as Morgan pulled her into a fond hug. Sarah buried her face in Morgan's chest, overwhelmed with grief, "I'm so sorry Morgan. I'm so sorry."

Morgan pulled away and smiled at the younger girl, "It's going to be okay. We'll be okay. And we'll see you again someday. I know we will."

"Not if you keep sneaking into the woods with _that_ boy, you won't." Tony barked at his daughter, feigning anger, but Morgan just grinned in response.

"Yes, Dad." She answered coyly, but her eyes were locked onto James. She brought herself back to reality long enough to give Kayla and Steve each a hug, feeling her heart sink as she realized what came next. She turned to see Kayla crying into her mother's blouse, but trying really hard to keep it together. With a wobbly lip, Kayla offered Tony a one armed hug then stormed away to the passenger side of the pickup truck.

Steve turned to Tony and they each let out a sigh. Steve nodded, shoving his hand out to shake Tony's. The shorter man responded by grabbing it and pulling Steve into a tight hug, which the blonde returned. "Take care, Tony."

As they pulled away, Tony nodded, mumbling "yeah" under his breath. He forced a weak smile, then turned to his daughter, "Make it snappy. Leave room for Jesus. If I see any contact above or below the waist, I'm sending you to boarding school until you are eighty."

Despite his threats, Tony turned away and grabbed Pepper by the arm, giving his daughter and the boy a chance to say goodbye. Sarah leaned in between the front seats to get a good view past her parents. Steve fiddled with his keys to start the truck, but Kayla watched her son like a hawk.

"Why does Uncle Tony hate James so much?"

"He doesn't hate James." Kayla snorted easily, "He just sees so much of your father in him."

Sarah considered this, "Okay, why's that a bad thing?"

"It's not. He's just being protective. Just wait until you start dating, _if_ you start dating... You think Tony's protective-" Steve started, but Sarah turned away from her father and Kayla just shook her head and mouthed 'no'.

"There's still a lot of time before we have to worry about that. For either of them." Kayla responded, nodding toward James and Morgan at the hood of the truck, "He'll be pining for quite some time I feel."

James leaned against the grill of his dad's truck, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly as Morgan stared at him, "I don't want you to go."

"I know, but it'll be good. I'll get to see the world- you know how long I've wanted this. You got to tour Europe-"

James chuckled a little, lowering his head and causing his blonde hair to fall across his eyes, "Yeah, I was ten and it was stupid. Don't go. Stay."

Morgan sighed loudly, her lips twisting instinctively as she thought about kissing him again, one last time, "It's not my choice to make. My family is everything I am. They are all I have. That includes you, which I'd like to point out that up until several hours ago, you thought I was your cousin."

"Did you know?" James asked her quickly, and Morgan felt like she was talking to someone much older. His voice was deeper and his gaze more even, less erratic than the hyperactive boy she used to play with as a child. She bit her tongue as she realized where the tone came from- he sounded like the old videos Tony had of his father.

"Yes." She raised her chin and looked him in the eyes, "I've known for a really long time. Things are complicated, but they are the way they are for a reason. Just accept that, okay?"

Morgan turned to walk away then, knowing if she didn't go now, she may never leave. She had the weight on the world on her shoulders, because she'd spent ten years lying to her only real friends. She rejoined her parents and looked over her shoulder to see James get into the backseat. Tony clenched her shoulder supportively and pulled her into his side as Pepper rubbed her back. Morgan didn't cry though. She knew she'd see them again someday.


	75. Chapter 75

**_Author's Note:_**

_zikashigaku: Yeah, James would be older, but since he's a snap baby he's actually younger than her? But he has accelerated growth, so even though he's legally thirteen, he's more like a sixteen year old. It's less weird when they are older and my husband and I talked AT LENGTH about this decision, but it doesn't really happen again... for now..._

James stared out the window as the trees passed by. He counted the trees as best he could at seventy miles per hour. It didn't matter if he missed a few. He didn't understand anything about his world anymore.

"You okay?"

James looked over his right shoulder to see Sarah watching him with a meek smile. He rolled his eyes and groaned loudly, turning back to stare at the passing scenery again.

Sarah leaned against the door to get a better look at her brother, narrowing her eyes as she continued to poke at his patience, "You act like you're the only person this is affecting, but she's my best friend. She's like family."

James chewed on his words for a moment before shifting his eyes to look in the rear-view mirror. He narrowed his eyes when his father finally noticed him staring, "Why did we call them family all these years?"

Steve stared back at James for a moment, until a car horn brought his focus back to the road. Kayla turned slowly to face her son, "They are like family to us. Family is more than blood relatives."

"Yeah, but like, do we have more family? Because I've only known Grandma for three years, and she's my actual family. And I find out today that Uncle Tony isn't actually our uncle? What's next? Is Uncle Bucky not your brother either?" James spat quickly and Steve turned to Kayla, giving her an 'I told you so' look.

She responded with a scowl before opening her mouth to answer her son, but he'd caught the exchange. He sat with his eyes narrowed and arms crossed as he waited for his mother's answer. Kayla groaned and pushed back her short hair, "James, it's complicated-"

"That's what Morgan said. I'm sick and tired of complicated, I'm not a child anymore. We aren't children anymore." James pointed to his sister and Sarah balked at being brought into the argument. James quickly softened at his mother's tired gaze, "Is anything real?"

"We're your parents. This is your sister. Your dad and I got into some trouble after you were born. We're just trying to keep you safe." Kayla answered easily. It was easy to tell her son the truth. It was getting harder and harder to lie.

"Maybe we should just tell him, there's no more-" Steve suggested, getting James's attention, but Kayla cut off her husband with a sharp shake of her head.

"Mom?" Sarah asked, sensing the tension in her mother's heart.

Kayla ran her tongue along her teeth thoughtfully, then shook her head again, "No. Kids, please... can't you do this for me and your father? Can't you just... be patient. Someday this is going to all make sense-"

"It could make sense right now if you told us." James barked back and Sarah shrunk into her seat, not wanting to get involved. Her brother had his mother's temper, and as he got older, he wasn't afraid to use it. Sarah noticed her father's jaw set tight, trying not to get involved either.

Steve rested his hand on Kayla's thigh in an effort to calm her down, but it was too late, the loose cannon was about to fire, "Listen to me- you were a snap baby. I lost you. I watched the doctor carve you out of me while my parents died, while my friends died." James widened his eyes as his mother continued, leaning into the backseat now to point at Sarah, "The doctor's didn't think Sarah was going to make it, and after everything I went through with you- after everything _we _went through... We finally had two perfect children who were alive and well. All I'm asking is that you trust us for one fucking second, because we gave up everything for you!"

"Kayla!" Steve yelped as his wife reached her boiling point, settling into her seat quietly after her outburst. She stared ahead as tears started to form, turning her eyes into green pools. Steve threw his head back and groaned loudly as they approached the city limits of their home.

"Kayla?"

Steve straightened up and looked at his wife, but she didn't even flinch at her son's sad voice. Steve looked up in the mirror to see him zeroed in on his mom with a gentle smile on his face, "Is that your real name?"

Kayla's chest gave out and she released a silent sob. She didn't turn around, but she nodded her head, confirming her son's suspicions. Sarah looked from James to her dad to the back of her mom's head, feeling the tension in the car soften a bit. She breathed just a little easier, as if her own lungs had a weight lifted off them.

Nobody said a word the rest of the trip until they rolled into the driveway of their house. Before Steve could even park the truck, James was sprinting out the rear passenger door around to his mom, ready to corner her before she could ignore his apology. Kayla pushed open the door and her son was there to corner her. "Mom. Mom I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you, I shouldn't have mouthed off."

Kayla sighed deeply and pulled James into a tight hug. She pressed a kiss to his ear before whispering, "I'm so sorry, honey. I'm so sorry that we can't tell you everything. We will, I just want you to have a normal life. I just want you to have a good life, a real one. Someday when you and your sister are older it'll make sense."

"I trust you." James promised, pulling his mom even tighter into his chest. She smiled and leaned against him, noticing Steve come up behind them and wrap his arms around them. He ruffled his son's hair, causing the boy to look up and smirk at his father.

* * *

"So, that was terrible." Steve closed the bedroom door that night as his wife got ready for bed. She yanked off her top and discarded it on the floor angrily. Steve snorted and picked it up, moving it the five feet into the hamper. He picked up the jeans she'd left on the floor and put them in the hamper after her top, "I guess on the bright side I can call you by your name now."

"Yeah. I guess." Kayla whispered. She sat on their bed in her nightgown and stared out the window. "I shouldn't have snapped at James."

"He deserved it." Steve replied but Kayla looked up at him, her eyes telling Steve she knew that was a lie. Steve knelt down in front of Kayla to look up at her as she began to unbutton his plaid shirt. "Kayla, we should tell them."

"They are still just kids. I don't want them to know what we did."

"You mean that we were Avengers?" Steve questioned.

"No, that we killed people." Kayla whispered back as she clenched the fabric of Steve's green shirt in each hand. She leaned into him, pressing her forehead against his as she let out a gasp, "I killed people. Innocent people. I ruined lives. I don't want them to think of me that way. They are just kids, they need their mom-"

"You'll always be their mom, that doesn't change." Steve assured her with a kiss to the temple. "If we don't tell them, they'll find out on their own. I'm all over the history books, so is your dad, so are you..."

"And then what happens? Then it's the opposite problem, everyone knows they are _our_ kids. Nobody treats them the same. Adults won't treat them the same. You don't think they'll come for James and Sarah? We are super soldiers, even if I didn't have the serum, you still did, which meant they might. We knew that... it still puts them at risk." Kayla hissed, looking at the door. She listened for a moment, catching the sound of James's video games and the soft hum of a video playing from Sarah's room. She looked back to Steve with wide eyes, "If they don't know, they have nothing to hide. It's either their secret to keep or ours. That should be our burden. They are just kids, Steve."

"I'm fully aware they are just kids Kayla, I just don't like lying to them. I'm proud of who I was. I want them to know where they came from." Steve laced his fingers through Kayla's and stared at them for a moment.

"We had a deal. Remember, when they were little?" Kayla pulled up on Steve's hands to get him to come sit on the bed with her, "When James is eighteen, when Sarah is seventeen, they're practically adults. Then they can know the truth and decide what to do with it. Maybe James will want the serum removed, maybe Sarah will want it, because its her birth right, but we made the agreement that we wanted them to choose. We'll give them that option when they are old enough to understand it."

Steve leaned back, smashing his head against the pillow as he started to close his eyes, "Fine. I don't think he'll bother you about it again. You scared the shit out of him."

Kayla smirked and pulled the lamp switch before nestling in beside Steve, "Language, Captain." She teased, and he rolled over her, tickling her into the mattress until she couldn't contain the giggles anymore. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him, studying him lovingly in the darkness. "I love you so much. And I'm so proud of you."

Steve kissed her softly, then laid down beside her. He didn't need to reciprocate her words. She read him like an open book.

As Steve drifted off into sleep, Kayla turned to look at him with a frown etched across her face. She studied the way his eyes crinkled in the corners more and more, and how she couldn't easily trace the muscles in his arm. As he snored, occasionally one of the snores would come out a bit of a wheeze. Kayla felt her own arm, her own face, then darted out of bed to the adjoining bathroom.

She closed the door quietly and flipped on the light, taking a moment too long to adjust to the brightness. She scowled in the mirror, studying her own reflection. She could see the start of crow's feet around her eyes. She lifted her nightgown and studied her abs, they were hard to find beneath her soft skin. At forty-seven years old, Kayla looked amazing, but that didn't ease her fears any.

Kayla opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of women's vitamins, twisting open the cap as she looked over her shoulder. She heard the snoring through the door and quickly popped two of the little white pills into her mouth, swallowing them dry without taking her eyes off the door. She shook a little as she felt them dissolve in her throat, spreading its contents into her bloodstream. She'd been clean for years. She hadn't been taking her pills since before they reversed the snap. She didn't need to. She had everything.

But Pepper's diagnosis and their reaction to it shook Kayla to her core. She poured out a bunch of the pills into her hand before tightening the cap and putting it back. She was careful not to make extra noise as she turned off the light and snuck out through her bedroom into the hallway. She froze when she heard James call quietly, "Mom?"

Kayla peeked in, keeping her hand on the doorframe as she smiled in at her son, "Hey honey. What's up?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I'm really sorry about earlier, I didn't mean it. I just- I'm sad, you know?" James admitted as he turned off his game. He stood, but Kayla just kept her spot by the door. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine honey. I just need to go get some water. Do you need anything?" Kayla asked sweetly, practically crushing the pills in her right hand. James declined and she told him goodnight, closing the door before sighing deeply and tiptoeing down the stairs.

Kayla didn't even turn on the lights, knowing her kitchen like the back of her hand. She pulled a cutting board from a cabinet above the sink and winced as she pulled a rolling pin from a drawer next to her. Once she had everything she needed, she poured the pills into a zip-lock bag and slowly but firmly crushed them with the rolling pin. She looked up the stairs as she used all her strength to demolish the pills into a fine powder. Once she put away the rolling pin and cutting board, she shook the bag and shook it, taking a long step over to the stove where the coffee pot sat. She twisted the lid to the coffee canister and pulled open the zip-lock bag, dumping its contents into the coffee grounds. She quickly screwed on the lid and shook the canister before setting it back in its normal spot.

Kayla's arms were quaking as she reached above the sink to grab a glass, understanding what she was about to do. Her body was on fire and she was thinking clearer than she had in years, and she considered throwing out the coffee grounds and-

Zawadi appeared beside her, whimpering as he pressed his wet nose to her hand. She set down her glass and crouched down to hug the dog, crying into his fur. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." The dog just licked away her tears, comforting her as he had for the past seventeen years. She pulled away and looked at the dog's face, knowing she was doing the wrong thing. She fell against him again, trying hard to stop her own tears. "I'm just not brave enough to let go."


	76. Chapter 76

**Six Years After the Fall of Hydra**

Sarah hummed to herself as she carefully sliced up the strawberries to add to her masterpiece. Once she'd placed three sliced strawberries on each plate of waffles, she grabbed the banana slices she'd cut earlier and arranged them, taking a step back to admire her work.

"You know they're just going to shovel those into their mouths right? They won't even notice all the work you're putting into breakfast, not even your father."

Sarah pursed her lips thoughtfully as she grabbed a sifter and deposited the perfect amount of powdered sugar on each of the five plates. She leaned over and grabbed her phone from the counter beside the fridge, taking a photo of the finished product. "I know. I don't do it for them. It makes me happy."

"Then that's all that matters." Kayla purred as she took a sip of her coffee happily. She watched her daughter pull out another plate and deposit one waffle before layering it sloppily with fruit. "Let me guess, little one's yours?"

"Well it sure isn't enough to feed Dad, James, and Uncle Bucky." Sarah snorted, looking out the corner of her eyes at her mom, "Or even you." Kayla pretended to be insulted as she set down her mug and leaned against the back of her chair, waiting for her daughter to continue her teasing. Sarah just grinned though, beginning to move the plates to the table as Kayla went back to reading her book, "Speaking of my brother and father, shouldn't they be back by now?"

"They've been on their run for two hours, they could be halfway to Canada by now." Kayla grumbled in response, not lifting her eyes from the pages as her daughter continued preparing for company. Kayla only looked up when her phone buzzed, "They're about five minutes out."

"Well then I'm glad we are ready for them." Sarah beamed as she brought over the last of the waffles, wiping her hands on her jeans before doubling back to the fridge. She returned with a carton of milk in one hand and a jug of orange juice in the other. Her arms wavered from the weight, but she was determined, and her mother didn't bring it up. Her fifteen year-old- daughter knew her limits. Kayla wasn't going to remind Sarah of them.

When someone knocked on the door, Sarah sprinted toward the foyer with Zawadi hot on her heels. She flung open the red door and squealed with excitement as Tessa embraced the teenager lovingly. Bucky herded them into the house, holding out his left hand to keep the Rhodesian Ridgeback inside the house as the dog tried to jump on him.

"Zaddi! Sit! Please..." Bucky groaned as the dog pushed her front paws against the man. Bucky played with the dog's ears as Zawadi tried to reach his long tongue to Bucky's clean-shaven face.

Kayla chuckled as she appeared around the corner from the kitchen, opening her arms to envelop Tessa in a hug, "You two have come a long way. He used to hate you."

"Yeah. I remember." Bucky barked as Zawadi finally got one long stroke of his tongue against the former soldier's smooth jaw. Bucky grimaced and wiped the slobber away after Kayla clicked her tongue, beckoning her pet back to her side. "How old is he anyway?"

"Not sure." Kayla lied as she moved to hug Barnes. "How was your trip home?"

"Long. Boring." Tessa droned and scratched Zawadi's head fondly. She looked up at Bucky lovingly, but her smile faltered for a moment until Sarah led them back into the kitchen. Tessa followed, but Bucky stayed behind with Kayla and the dog, kicking his boot against the carpet for a moment before pulling off his shoes.

Kayla watched him silently, wondering if she should wait for her husband's return to breach the sensitive subject. When Bucky stood up straight and looked around, she decided to jump in, "Steve and James aren't back from their run yet. They should be here any moment."

"Oh." Bucky said simply, taking a step closer to the kitchen before stopping again and scratching behind his short hair. "We, uh, didn't have much luck."

Kayla nodded, keeping tight lipped as she listened to Sarah showing off her impeccably designed waffles to Tessa. "You or her?"

"Me." Bucky answered quietly. His blue eyes were stone cold as he stared toward the kitchen. "It's probably for the best."

"Don't say that." Kayla hissed as the door began to unlock behind her. She grabbed Bucky's arm to pull his attention to her for one more moment, "Have you talked to Doctor Banner? Even Doctor Strange- Shuri?"

"Everyone. The results are still the same. I'm a hundred and twenty years old, Kayla. It's not a surprise." Bucky mumbled as the door flew open and Steve emerged from the outside, closing the gap between himself and his best friend with a happy yell.

Kayla stepped aside to let her son into the house, the sixteen-year-old pouncing onto his uncle the moment Steve gave him a second to breathe. Bucky laughed loudly and waved his hand in front of his face, "You two reek!"

"And now so will you." Tessa giggled as she walked up to Steve and hugged him nonetheless. When she pulled away she looked to James, looking him up and down in wonder, "I can't believe how much you've grown! What are you now, twenty?"

"Sixteen." James laughed as he slung his arm over his aunt. "It's good to see you both."

"Breakfast is ready, but you aren't sitting at my table looking like that." Kayla motioned all over Steve's sweat drenched body. She winked at him and nodded upstairs, but Steve snatched her hand and pulled her into a quick kiss before leaving.

James shook his head, no surprise in his expression as he slowly followed his father upstairs. Tessa followed Kayla back into the kitchen, leaving Bucky standing in the living room with Zawadi panting next to him.

He stared down at the dog curiously, knowing there were a lot of things he didn't understand. But he understood that a dog as large as the Rhodesian shouldn't live to twenty years old. Zawadi didn't act like a senior dog, he acted as energetic and devoted as the first time Bucky encountered him in Wakanda. Time came and went for the Winter Soldier, but he'd been out of the ice long enough to know that something else was at play. He looked up toward the kitchen, catching Kayla's gaze as she switched off the coffee machine.

Zawadi tilted his head, his left ear twitching up as he stared at Bucky. He snorted and pat the dog one last time as Steve came trotting down the stairs. Whereas Bucky was clean-shaven, Steve had grown out his beard again. It was thick but well kept, and his hair was shorter than he used to wear it. Bucky's smile faltered a bit when he considered how different Steve looked from the man he used to know. Even Kayla had hacked off her beautiful hair years ago, keeping it no longer than her shoulders. She'd begun wearing glasses, just like Steve, to hide her recognizable expression. Their logic was simple: the older the kids got, the more chances they'd have to see their parents in the history books. Which meant Steve and Kayla had to be diligent about erasing who they used to be.

The worst part for Bucky was that they seemed fine with it.

"Let's eat. I'm sure you're starving." Bucky told Steve quietly as his friend lead him into the kitchen toward the table. Bucky sat first, taking in the spread eagerly, "Sarah, did you do all this? It's beautiful."

"Thank you! See, someone appreciates my hard work." Sarah looked expectantly to her mother. She leaned back in her chair, looking to the empty one beside her, "Where's James?"

"I'll go hurry him up a bit. You guys start eating." Kayla exclaimed as she stood and motioned toward the food.

Steve followed his wife for a few steps and looked up the stairs, hearing her tap on their son's door. He then turned to his company who were getting settled, "Can I get you guys anything to drink? Water, orange juice, coffee- milk?" He listed as he took stock of what his daughter had set out. Bucky looked around the table, then silently reached for the orange juice while Tessa considered her options. Steve poured himself a mug of coffee and sipped it as he looked up the stairs again, wondering what was taking his son so long.

Tessa raised her hand to get Steve's attention, "If you don't mind, I'd love a cup of coffee? I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and we've been driving since six this morning."

"Yeah, of course!" Steve replied, pulling out a mug for her beverage. He carefully carried it over and handed it to Tessa, "Let me know if you need cream or anything."

Tessa took a long, slow sip of the coffee as Kayla came trotting down the stairs with James right behind her. "Your son was using up all the hot water-" Kayla's words died on her lips when she saw Tessa with a mug in her hand. Kayla swallowed hard, eyes darting around as James passed her and sat at his spot at the table.

"Sorry, one of my friends was asking if I was free to hang out this afternoon. We don't have any real plans, do we?" James questioned his father as Steve sat down, stabbing his fork into his waffles to begin devouring them.

None of them realized Kayla was frozen in her place by the stove until Tessa twisted her face uncomfortably and groaned. Bucky looked her up and down worriedly, "What's wrong?"

"I- I don't know. Something's not right." Tessa mumbled as she bent over, her cup dropping to the ground and shattering. She winced as she held her stomach, "I'm sorry- I just feel... oh my gosh it hurts so much!"

Steve looked down at his own coffee, taking another sip to find it normal. He looked at the food, realizing she hadn't started yet. Bucky followed his train of thought and jumped to his feet, taking a swig of the coffee for himself. He narrowed his eyes, trying to decipher the taste, "This is the same stuff she had, right?"

"Yeah. I poured them at the same time." Steve answered before Bucky dropped to his knees to hold Tessa's face as she cried out in anguish.

James reached out to take the mug from his father, asking if he could try some until his mother yelled out, "No!"

At the sound of her voice, Steve looked up at his wife to see her frozen in place with a horrified look on her face. But there wasn't panic, per say, only guilt. Kayla always made sure to clean out the coffee machine before they had company, but she had a late night errand to run the night before. Sarah and Steve hadn't thought to clean it out. They didn't realize they had need to.

Sarah dropped her fork and pulled out her phone, "Should I call 911?"

"Wait, will the cops come to the house?" James asked nervously through a mouthful of waffles. His anxious green eyes met his mother's petrified ones and she gave him a warning glare before turning back to the task at hand.

"No- no need for that, I think it's just an allergic reaction- James, take the van, go get some Benadryl from the drugstore. Sarah, go with your brother." Kayla ordered as she finally broke from her trance and crossed the kitchen to kneel beside her friend as she continued to cry. She looked up one more time at her kids before yelling, "Go! Now!"

James stumbled to his feet, grabbing the keys off the counter as Sarah scurried behind him, looking over her shoulder one more time. "She's going to be alright." Sarah said confidently, but she wasn't sure where that certainty came from.

The moment the front door closed, Steve was on his feet and surging toward his wife furiously, "What have you done? What is it?"

"It's a stimulant." Kayla admitted nervously, and Tessa looked up at her with wide eyes as she began to pant, only breaking from her panic to let out another anguished scream. Kayla grimaced as Steve pinned her against the cabinets. She was quivering as he towered over her, taking in how powerful he still was, "I'm sorry."

"Why? Why is there a stimulant in my coffee Kayla? How long?" Steve breathed, and Kayla looked away to catch a glimpse of Tessa. The brunette was now seated on the floor in Bucky's arms as he wiped her forehead. She was whimpering as she held his arm tightly. Steve smacked his hand against the cabinet, "Answer me, Kayla!"

"Three years!" She yelped out, shaking as she met her husband's disgusted face. Tears began to fill her green eyes, "After Tony and Pepper left, I- I panicked. You were getting older. I was scared... I can't lose you-"

"That's not your decision to make Kayla, it's how the world works! Jesus, you've been drugging me to keep me younger? What does the stimulant do? What'll it do to her?"

"It just reactivates the super soldier serum, it doesn't add anything to it." Kayla breathed, but Steve tilted his head, showing he didn't believe she was telling the full truth, so she added, "It helps regenerate cells and creates a protective barrier around organs."

"What will it do to Tessa?" Bucky repeated evenly and Steve pulled away so his wife could assess the situation she'd created.

Kayla swallowed hard, looking from her best friend to Bucky, "It will regenerate cells and form a protective barrier around her organs. She doesn't have the steroids in her already, it won't make her stronger."

"Why the _fuck_ does it hurt so bad?" Tessa snarled as she looked up at her best friend, "Can't you stop it?"

"I can- let me, let me get my stuff-" Kayla scrambled to her feet, but something rubbery caught her wrist, and she quickly registered it was Bucky's prosthetic hand. Tessa looked up at her husband as he stared at Kayla, trying to find the words to say.

"What if you don't?" He croaked quietly. "What if you don't stop it?"

Kayla didn't understand what Bucky was asking, and she looked to Steve frantically, but he couldn't look her in the eyes. Tessa breathed deeply, finally beginning to feel the slightest bit of relief. She looked at her hands, realizing she didn't look any different, but she felt different.

Bucky finally released Kayla's hand and she backed away a step, opening and closing her mouth quickly in an attempt to find the correct words, "It's not the serum-"

"I know. But it'll keep her healthy?" Bucky asked and Tessa began to follow his train of thought.

"And potentially live longer?" Tessa questioned, and Kayla looked to her husband, but he crossed his arms and stared at the ground. "Kay?" Kayla's head snapped to Tessa and the brunette stretched a little before nodding at her husband to help her up. "It's okay."

"No. No, it's not okay." Steve grumbled as he shook his head in disbelief. He stormed away with Zawadi following him with his tail between his legs.

Bucky pulled Tessa close to him and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, keeping his eyes locked on Steve as he dropped himself into his easy chair, "Listen... this could be a great thing for us."

"Or not." Kayla muttered as she turned back to look at her friends. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Nobody was ever supposed to find out."

"You're a fucking idiot." Tessa breathed before twisting her lips thoughtfully. Kayla pushed her glasses up on top of her head and rubbed the inner corners of her eyes as she groaned. Tessa snapped her fingers in Kayla's face, bringing the woman back to reality, "Hey. You really fucked this up. What are we going to do?"

"I can make an anti-stimulant. But I don't recommend it." Kayla mumbled, finally meeting Tessa's eyes and leveling with her, "If I do that, it'll kill off your cells and weaken your organs. I did what I thought I needed to do to protect my hundred-and-nineteen-year-old husband. I'm so sorry this happened, but I would never do anything to hurt you intentionally. You're family."

Tessa sighed loudly and rolled her eyes, nodding her head understandingly, "Yeah, I know. I know. I forgive you."

A frustrated moan rumbled from the easy chair in the other room. Kayla blanched at the sound and leaned her head against the cabinets before looking back at her friend sadly, "I almost wish you wouldn't. That would make him easier to live with."

"I said I forgive you. That-" Tessa pointed out into the living room where Steve was sulking, "is a very different story."

"Can we borrow your room? I'm going to take Tessa to lie down." Bucky asked as he led his wife up the stairs for some rest. Kayla nodded dully, despite Bucky and Tessa already being gone. She collected the broom from the kitchen closet and began sweeping up the shattered pieces of the mug. She was only vaguely aware when the front door opened and Sarah called that they were back.

"Tessa's upstairs. Can you take her the medicine?" Kayla's voice cracked and she heard as Sarah's light footsteps moved up the stairs. She dumped the shattered mug into the trash, pulling her glasses down to cover her puffy eyes.


	77. Chapter 77

Sarah came back downstairs to find her family in disarray. James leaned against the refrigerator, watching their mom as she washed the dishes silently. Sarah met her brother's eyes and he gave her a grim smile before his eyes darted to their father, telling his sister to talk to the man. Sarah nodded, understanding his message, then meandered into the living room and collapsed onto the couch beside her father's chair.

"What are you working on?" She asked gently as she peered over his arm at his sketchpad. She saw him doodling a room she'd never seen before with a big glass door overlooking a lake. She recognized Zawadi laying at the foot of the bed, but the bed was empty. Sarah looked up at her father's face, but he was focused on his work, "Dad?"

Steve groaned quietly as he set down his pencil, rubbing his mouth in frustration, "I'm sorry, honey. I'm just- I'm not feeling great."

"Do you need some medicine? I can get more of the Benadryl from upstairs..." Sarah trailed off until her dad looked her in the eyes, "You and Mom get in a fight?"

"How do know that?" Steve mumbled. He flipped closed the sketchbook and set it between the chair and the couch before addressing his little girl properly, "It's fine. Just a misunderstanding."

Steve noticed his daughter's blue eyes sparkle gold for a second. He pulled his head back in surprise, but she seemed to not notice, deep in thought, "No... it's not a misunderstanding. It was deception. What did she do?"

"She didn't do anything..." Steve's resolve crumbled as Sarah pursed her lips knowingly, "She thought she was doing the right thing."

"There it is." Sarah leaned back, slinging her arm over the back of the couch as Steve leaned toward her. He smiled a little when Sarah grinned smugly, "I know you so well. You should talk to her. We hate when you two fight."

Steve leaned back into his chair, pulling the switch to push out the footrest. He wiggled into the cushions, getting comfortable with no intention of apologizing to his wife. "We don't fight often."

"You don't like when she keeps secrets from you."

"Does she keep a lot of secrets from me?" Steve looked over to see Sarah's eyes sparkle with gold and he moved to get a better look. He swallowed as he studied his teenage daughter, but she wasn't in a trance, she was just invested in their conversation.

Sarah chuckled as she looked over her shoulder, wondering if Kayla and James could hear their conversation. "She knows not to tell you things you'll disagree with. Because once you set your mind to something, there's no changing it." The young girl responded truthfully and Steve groaned, knowing she was right. Sarah pushed herself to her feet with a grunt, looking down at Steve in his easy chair, "Whatever happened, you know she meant well. She always does."

As Sarah walked to the kitchen to check on her mom and brother, Steve stared out the window, wondering how he expected his wife to evolve if he wasn't willing to do the same. He scooped up his sketchpad and continued drawing what he remembered of their first home together. Back when he was Captain America, and his feisty wife was always causing some sort of mischief to save his life.

* * *

After a few hours, Tessa and Bucky finally meandered down the stairs to rejoin their friends. Kayla couldn't look up to meet Tessa's eyes, but when Steve saw the woman, he couldn't help but notice she walked a little lighter and carried herself a little taller than she had before. With a roll of his eyes and a defeated grunt, Steve stood up to greet his friends.

James was sprawled across the couch, waiting patiently for someone to explain what the hell had happened earlier, but he wasn't holding his breath. His parents rarely told him anything.

"How you feeling?" Steve's gruff voice told Tessa he'd been silent for the past three hours. She raised her head and nodded, eyes darting to the kitchen where Kayla was hiding.

"I'm feeling fine. I'm feeling better, I guess."

Steve nodded in understanding, knowing it was a happy accident. Bucky had said time and time again that he feared he'd outlive his new wife. Countless conversations were had between the two men over beers in crowded bars where nobody could hear their darkest secrets. Bucky was scared that he'd live forever, knowing Tessa would not. Steve assured his best friend that super-serum didn't give immortality, and sooner or later, time would catch up with him.

Bucky was beginning to realize that Steve was right: time had caught up with him. It made sense why Kayla did the things she did. She was scared. Tessa was scared. Bucky was scared. Everyone, except Steve Rogers, was terrified of the inevitability of death.

And that led them all here.

"You know what I think we need? I think... we need ice cream. I could kill for some ice cream, what about you kids?" Bucky asked pointedly at James and Sarah, and Sarah nodded slowly, seeing this was a ploy to get them out of the house.

"Yeah. Ice cream. James!" Sarah smacked her brother's gut as his hand dropped to the side with an annoyed look, his phone screen lit up next to the girl's face. Sarah shifted to get a better look. "Oh, I'm sorry, will that interfere with talking to Bridget?"

Bucky snorted and James smacked his sister in the back of the head, eliciting a yowl from the girl as she rubbed the spot he hit. "James!" Steve snapped and, realizing his error, James scrambled to his feet.

"Yup. Ice cream sounds great. Let's go! I'll drive!" James pulled the keys he'd been hoarding out of his pocket and led Sarah and Tessa to the van. Steve followed Bucky, but when they got to the door, Bucky shoved his hand out in front of his friend.

Steve looked at Bucky questioningly, but Bucky just nodded back toward the kitchen, "Not you."

"Buck-"

"Sort this out. Now. We'll be back in about an hour." Bucky said before turning and pulling the door closed behind him, effectively trapping Steve at home with his wife.

Steve pressed his forehead against the red door, closing his eyes and thinking about how excited Kayla was when she saw this house for the first time. She couldn't stop dreaming about everything she wanted to do and create. Steve went to work and Kayla raised the kids, but eventually they got older, and they could take care of themselves. But Kayla stayed behind, spending day in and day out alone in this big empty house.

Steve wasn't surprised that paranoia had begun to take over.

He could feel it in his bones. The years alone would have put him in the grave, but every battle left him broken and bruised to the point that it hurt just to get out of bed. He never told Kayla about it, but she wasn't blind. She was scared and she was resourceful. Steve should have thought of it sooner.

"Punch me."

Steve lifted his head, turning to his wife with disbelief in his sad blue eyes, "What?"

"You heard me. Hit me with your best shot." Kayla dared, approaching from the kitchen slowly. Her hips swung from side to side and she planted her bare feet into the tile of their foyer. She stared at Steve intensely, waiting for him to take her bait.

Steve threw his head back to the ceiling for a moment before shaking his head, "Are you insane? I'm not going to _beat_ my wife, no matter how_ mad_ I am at you."

The sound of Kayla's laugh almost broke Steve from his anger. It wasn't mocking and it wasn't teasing, it was real, "No. No, not like that. Come on," She gestured toward herself, "Throw the first punch."

Steve tilted his head, not wanting to play her game, but she shifted her feet in a way that told him she was going to make the first move if he didn't. He put his right foot forward and swung his fist at Kayla, who blocked it easily. Kayla punched at her husband, but he grabbed her hand and twisted it until Kayla flipped to the side, breaking free of his grip. Steve grabbed her wrist again in an attempt to make her stop, but Kayla just swung her right leg up to whack the side of his rib cage. Steve took the hit without flinching and dropped to the ground to sweep Kayla's legs, knocking her to the floor.

When she fell on her back, she broke into a fit of giggles, "See! Wasn't that fun?" Steve just stared at her with an emotionless expression, crossing his arms as he waited for her to sober up. Kayla just shook her head and sighed, "Haven't you missed it?"

Steve's scowl faltered at her laughter. He collapsed onto the floor beside Kayla as she laid on her back laughing at the ceiling. As he leaned his back against the door, Steve studied his wife, remembering all the things he loved about her. "Maybe" He grumbled and she adjusted herself to look up at him better. "Why didn't you just talk to me Kay?"

"Because I knew what you'd say. You'd say no." Kayla argued and Steve pointed at her accusingly.

"It was still my decision to make, not yours. You don't get to use me as a lab rat." Steve snarled, but he didn't pull away. In fact, he lowered his hand to set it on Kayla's shoulder. She turned her face and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, flinching at his words.

Kayla didn't answer for a moment, considering what she wanted to say. After a moment she sat up to look Steve in the eyes, "I knew what I was doing was wrong. But I would _never_ use anything on you if I didn't know exactly what it did. I used it for years-"

"I knew you did, you were addicted to it." Steve answered, looking down and grabbing her hand softly, "Kayla, you're gonna have to let me go someday. Nobody lives forever."

"I know. Just not now. I can't take care of the kids alone." Kayla clenched his hand before adding, "You know why I didn't get the coffee pot cleaned last night? Like I always do before we have company?"

Steve shook his head, "You had to go run an errand before you picked up James."

"I got called to pick up James from the police station. He was caught trespassing with his friends." Kayla admitted and Steve's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to chastise her for keeping it a secret but she lifted her finger to stop him, "He was terrified. He _cried_ Steve, he was so scared of what you'd do when you found out."

Steve scratched the back of his hair uncomfortably as Kayla scooted closer to him. She lifted his chin to get a better look at him and he sighed, "If my son is so scared of me, why are you so desperate to keep me around?"

Kayla leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Steve's bearded cheek, "Because they need their father, Steve. They need someone to set an example, because without you, our son wouldn't know right from wrong. I can't do this alone. I shouldn't have given you the drug without you knowing. I'm sorry. But you look me in the eye and you tell me that you don't _love_ the feeling. That you aren't happy having a few more years as Captain America before time takes its toll on you."

Steve grabbed Kayla's jaw and pulled her lips to his, kissing her fiercely as she grabbed at his short hair. "I was so happy I didn't even question it." Steve growled as he chased her mouth again, shoving his tongue past her lips as she crawled into his lap. He moaned as they broke apart for a moment, "I kinda just thought I'd caught a second wind."

Kayla chuckled, leaning into his shoulders as she nipped at his lower lip, "I don't think that's how it works, love. You've been chasing death since the moment you came out of the ice." Steve pulled away at that, leaning his head against the door to think. Kayla sat on her haunches, sticking out her lower lip in a pout, "What's wrong?"

"If I don't take the drug, will I age more rapidly?" Steve asked seriously and Kayla considered this for a few moments before lifting her shoulders.

"I don't know, Steve." She admitted, "Erskine's serum was to bring you to the peak of human potential, not elongate your life. It's just a side effect of being trapped in the ice, suspended animation. At some point though, human nature will take its toll."

"But the drug... does what exactly?" Steve breathed and Kayla moved to sit beside him, taking his hand in hers.

She rubbed the back of his hand fondly, then tilted her head with a smile, "It helps regenerate cells, including the ones that have the serum in them, which keeps you strong and feeling good. It protects your organs, and if they can't fail, there's no reason for you to-"

"Maybe don't put them in the coffee. It's only a matter of time before James or Sarah tries some." Steve said firmly and Kayla stared at him blankly. He met her gaze and added, "Thank you. I trust you to take care of this family. I'm sorry that you think the only way is to hide it from me."

"You're stubborn."

"And you're reckless, but isn't that why we fell in love?" Steve teased, leaning over to kiss Kayla again. She smiled as he pulled away slowly, caught up in the moment, but she found herself nodding anyway. "I love you so much." Steve told his wife, pulling her close to his side to cuddle her. She sighed and closed her eyes, burying herself into him until he caught her attention.

"Want to spar again?"


	78. Chapter 78

**Eight Years After the Fall of Hydra...**

The clock struck five twenty-five am in the faraway country of Wakanda. The King bowed his head sadly when the country's best doctor's called the time of death. He stood stoically as the man before him fell to his knees and wept openly, still clinging tightly to the woman's hand. His daughter, twenty-two years old last month, sat in a wooden chair at the bedside, crying into her hand as she stared in a trance out the open doors to the city below their balcony. A tear slipped down her cheek as she quivered, trying to keep it together as her father mourned the loss of his beloved wife.

"I'm so sorry for your loss." T'Challa's voice was gruff as he murmured his condolences, then beckoned to his medical staff to give the family time to mourn.

With the King and his medical team gone, Morgan finally let her facade drop, leaning in her chair to drape her arms around a grey-haired Tony Stark as she sobbed. He turned off his nano-mask and discarded it, allowing him to mourn without disguise with his daughter. The young woman sniffled to her father, "What do we do now?"

Tony kept his head low, trying not to look at his lost love, "We go home."

* * *

At the same time, somewhere else in the universe, a ping was felt throughout the golden-hued realm. Tiffany looked up from the chair she'd been sitting in to meet Gamora's eyes, and the green woman just nodded toward Natasha. Tiffany's lips were pulled into a tight line as she slowly made her way to the deceased assassin.

"She's gone."

Natasha tilted her head to listen, but didn't turn enough to fully look over her shoulder. After a moment, she turned back to what she was working on. "Kayla?"

"No." Tiffany shook her head, causing a chunk of hair to fall from her ponytail. Natasha studied the movement, noting nothing had changed the little brunette's appearance in seventeen years. They'd stayed frozen, figures in time and space, as they were when they died. Until now.

Natasha's big eyes stared blankly at Tiffany, and the smaller woman's lip began to wobble as she gasped, "This is the event that sets everything into motion."

"Our time here is coming to an end." Gamora called from where she sat. She wandered across the teenage bedroom they called home. The water sloshed at her feet, but Tiffany lowered her eyes to see the level had gone down a bit. Gamora rolled her eyes and snapped at Tiffany, "Did you hear me? The fabric of our prison is breaking apart!"

"We're a speeding bullet racing toward that moment. Nothing can stop it now." Tiffany said, staring out the window into the outside world- into reality, "Nothing lasts forever."

* * *

It was ten twenty-five at night when Sarah Carter felt a shiver stream down her spine, shaking her entire body. She stopped working on her school project and looked out the window, as if the dark sky would tell her what this feeling was. She stood from her desk chair and twisted the knob to push open her window. She tried to pull up on the tabs to remove the screen, but they were stuck closed. Sarah huffed as she moved to the bathroom she shared with her brother, gently pushing open the door to find it empty. She moved to his closed bedroom door and knocked softly, "James!" She hissed before knocking again. After several failed attempts to get her brother's attention, she turned the knob and slowly opened the door to investigate.

She found the dark blue room full of dirty clothes and workout equipment, but devoid of the person she was looking for. Sarah narrowed her eyes and stepped over a pair of dirty underwear to James's window, tapping it to find it open with the screen removed. She pushed the window open more and studied the rooftop, finding James's trail from the roof to the shed behind the house, then out to do whatever he was doing at the moment.

Sarah sighed and pulled the window closed, using all her strength to snap the latches and effectively lock her brother out. She smirked to herself as she went back to her room, careful to leave everything else as she'd found it, "Serves him right."

Sarah went back to the window and pulled with all her might, grunting as she finally unlocked the screen of her window. She carefully pulled it off and sat it on the floor beside her gently before leaning out the window into the cool night air. She closed her eyes and let the breeze blow her long blonde hair, succumbing to the strange feeling in her soul.

Without warning, Sarah began to cry, feeling a dark hole in the pit of her stomach, like her very heart was being ripped from her chest. She gripped the side of the window as she leaned out into the air, letting the tears flow as she held her mouth, trying to contain the tears she didn't understand. She gasped for breath, trying not to make any noise and wake her sleeping parents. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to push away the misery that plagued her without cause, but with her eyes closed, she saw a sparkling city, larger and more brilliant than anything she'd ever seen in her dreams.

Quickly, Sarah pried open her eyes and darted to her desk, pulling open a drawer to reveal her sketchbook. She scrambled to find a pencil, and began drawing the place she'd seen. She shaded the buildings, occasionally closing her blue eyes in an attempt to see the city again. Perhaps if she put it to paper, she could find it, and figure out where this feeling came from.

Maybe she could finally understand why she was so different from everybody else.

Sarah sketched until her vision began to blur, then moved to her bed and sketched on her mattress until she could no longer sit up. She tried so hard to continue drawing every detail of the place she'd seen, but sleep finally claimed her.

The blonde didn't even register she'd fallen asleep until the sounds of birds outside her open window pulled her from her slumber at dawn. She pried her eyes open at the sound of barking outside her door, followed by her mother's hushed voice, "It's Saturday, Zaddi, let them sleep."

Sarah pushed herself onto her elbow as she heard the massive dog's paws lead him downstairs with her mother. Sarah looked to her left and saw her sketch, partially crumpled from falling asleep on it. She yelped and quickly tried to smooth out the drawing without ruining all her hard work, but her attempts smeared the lead. "Damnit." She mumbled under her breath, quickly looking up to her door in case her father heard her.

"Sarah?"

"Yes, Dad?" She called nervously, closing her eyes and cursing herself for wrecking her work. After a moment of silence, Sarah looked up at the door, "You can come in if you want."

Steve slowly turned the knob and entered his daughter's room. He smiled softly at her as he approached, taking in the open window and the crumbled paper on her sketchpad, "You doing okay? You seem- frazzled."

"I fell asleep on my drawing." She admitted truthfully, closing the cover on her book and looking up at her dad. He was dressed in loose pants and a workout top, clearly stopping by before going on his daily run. Sarah twisted her mouth, "It wasn't important. I just- I saw something. Like a dream, but I was awake, you know? It was a place I've never seen before, but it was beautiful, so I drew it in hopes I could find it..."

"Can I see it?" Steve asked, taking a seat on his daughter's white comforter that was tangled around her legs.

Sarah blanched at the question, stuttering, "Uh, no- no, I... It's not great. It got messed up."

"It doesn't have to be perfect. You know I'll love it." Steve assured his girl, pushing back her hair and wondering where the last seventeen years of his life went. She grabbed his hand and leaned into it affectionately, but shook her head.

"I'll work on it and then show you. You know I like my work to be perfect."

Steve nodded, looking down at her closed sketchpad thoughtfully, "I know. But that's not realistic. Your mother and I will support you no matter what."

"Are you insinuating I should consider art school again?" Sarah asked slyly and Steve just put both of his hands up defensively.

"You can do whatever makes you happy, just know that we'll pay for it." He told his little girl and she grinned down at her book, moving it from her bed to her desk with a knowing smile. Steve watched her, knowing something was bothering her, "What makes you happy, Hun?"

"Drawing. Painting. Art." She shrugged, "I feel like art is a way into the soul, to take something you feel and something you are and put it on a canvas. I can't describe it, but, I just feel things so strongly and I need to express them, you know?"

Steve laughed, leaning back on his strong arm as he tilted his head, his dark hair that Kayla dyed falling over his forehead, "I think it sounds like you have a gift."

"It's not a respectable profession-"

"Your brother wants to go to a party school and he's actually a senior, so I think you can do whatever you want. You have time to change your mind, but in all honesty, I hope you don't." Steve admitted to his daughter. He smiled, but there was sadness in his eyes, "I want you to have everything you could ever dream of. I'll make it happen."

"Don't get sappy on me." Sarah teased, leaning against Steve's side lovingly. He stroked her arm, feeling how thin and weak it was compared to his wife's. His smile fell as she coughed loudly, holding her chest and inhaling deeply to catch her breath. "Excuse me." Sarah apologized as she leaned away from Steve, holding up her index finger to ask him to give her a minute.

He stood, but she shook her head, signifying she was okay, "I'm fine, Dad. I promise. I'm gonna eat and then work on fixing my drawing. Then maybe you can take a peek? See if you know where it is?"

"Of course." Steve pressed a kiss to his daughter's hair and left her room. She watched him leave, and as soon as he was out of sight, she opened up her sketchpad and ripped the page out, trying to distinguish the buildings that were smeared across the page.

After a while, her mother's voice broke through Sarah's concentration, "Sarah! James! Breakfast!"

Sarah sat up and brought her sketchbook down with her, finding her father sitting at the table reading a newspaper of all things, drinking his coffee. "Wow. A physical newspaper? This is a relic." Sarah teased, but Steve just smiled and flipped the page as his daughter pulled the cereal box out of the cabinet. Kayla handed her a bowl and the milk and Sarah made breakfast as Kayla popped a pill and swallowed it down with orange juice.

"Where's your brother?" Kayla asked nonchalantly as she caught her breath from taking the pill. "He's usually the first one at the table waiting to be fed."

"He had a late night." Sarah said truthfully, knowing her brother had snuck out before ten. "He's probably still sleeping."

Steve grunted as Kayla rubbed his shoulders lovingly, pressing a kiss to his dark hair as her own strawberry blonde locks fell over his head. "I was hoping he'd go for a run with me. If we wait any longer it'll be brutal out."

"Just go without him, Love." Kayla hummed as she kissed his beard, wrapping her arms around his chest, "I'm sure he'll catch up."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Steve questioned as he looked up, catching Kayla's lips with his own, "You saying I'm slow?"

"I'm just saying he's faster." Kayla answered, finally releasing Steve, but he caught her wrist and pulled her back, causing her to trip and fall into his lap. She laughed loudly, tossing back her head and sending her fading red hair over her shoulder. "Go, get out of here. Have fun." Steve stood and carefully deposited Kayla's feet onto the tile. He kissed her sweetly before leaving for his run.

Sarah watched him leave, pulling her long hair over her shoulder, then hitting a button on her phone when the door latched closed.

Kayla raised her brow questioningly from her place at the dining table, "What're you doing?"

"It takes Dad approximately four minutes to get around the block."

Kayla tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, "Okay..."

Sarah looked at the timer, seeing it had been about forty-five seconds since her father had left on his run. "Give it three minutes."

"Okay." Kayla relinquished, watching her daughter stare at the timer. "Your dad said you were working on something. Something about a city?"

Sarah stood up straighter and looked down at her pad that she still held in her left hand, "Uh, yeah, I just, had to get it out of my head. I messed it up though. Fell asleep while doodling." Sarah chuckled, setting the pad on the counter and looking back at her timer. "One more minute."

Kayla considered what Sarah had said, knowing her daughter's oddity for knowing things beyond her realm of knowledge was growing stronger. She drew her brows, "Can I see it? I used to travel a lot, before..."

"The whole witness protection thing? Yeah, I gathered that from Grandma." Sarah chuckled, looking at her timer again and avoiding her mother's question, "I want to fix it up a bit before you see it... Thirty seconds."

"No, I'd really like to see it now-" Kayla said, but luckily for Sarah, the front door began to open and Kayla's attention turned to it. There was a brief moment of silence before Kayla called, "Steve?"

Sarah pulled in her lips in an attempt to stay quiet, making eye contact with the brute who had come in through the front door. Her efforts were futile though, and Kayla sighed loudly, "James?"

The brawny blonde winced and slowly approached the kitchen, preparing for a lecture as he came into his mom's view. "Hey- Mom. Sarah." He turned to his sister and she just stared at him, keeping her lips closed tightly as he looked for any sign of betrayal from the girl.

"You just now coming home?" Kayla asked calmly, leaning against her dining room chair with a smirk, "Did you use protection?"

Sarah's eyes widened and she turned to look over her shoulder at the cabinet, unable to keep her cool if she saw her brother's expression.

James licked his upper lip in frustration, bopping anxiously as he waited to be released from this embarrassing confrontation. "Yes."

Kayla nodded, looking the boy up and down and cursing genetics for how much he looked like his father, "Don't let him find out."

"Yes Ma'am." James mumbled, eyeing his sister then turning back to his mom. "Thank you."

Kayla just shrugged, lifting her coffee to her lips as she eyed her son, "I was young once too. Just don't muck it up."

"She says that, but she means the other thing." Sarah finally said and James shot her a warning glare that only made her chuckle harder. "I'm sorry, I had to."

"I'm not having this conversation with my mom and sister." James groaned before turning to take a step out of the kitchen. Before he could leave though, his mother's voice called him back. He turned to look at Kayla, holding his mouth in a tight line, "Yeah Mom?"

"Just be careful please. With all your... working out and such, you're quite strong." Kayla said knowingly, understanding more than most what it felt like to be held by someone with super strength. She remembered being young and in love and Steve being so, so careful with her. She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present, "Just keep it in mind. Please. And don't go sneaking around."

James just nodded, taking his mom's words to heart before sprinting up the stairs to his bedroom to shower and change.

"Alright, now let me see the sketch." Kayla said as Sarah froze, suddenly very aware she had nothing to hide behind. She sighed and pulled out the destroyed drawing, handing it over to Kayla, who had her hand outstretched expectantly.

Once the page was in her hand, Kayla turned it around and her face fell. She swallowed hard as Sarah looked down at the smeared drawing, "The detail was impeccable, I want to try and fix it up, then do a computer scan and see if I can figure out where it is." She admitted, but Kayla just looked up at her with a shaking jaw. Sarah tilted her head curiously, "What?"

"I've been here before." She said quietly, turning her attention back to the page, "You said you saw this... in a dream?"

"Kinda." Sarah drew out the word and Kayla looked up at her with more anxiety that Sarah had seen in a while. She swallowed and told the truth, "I was doing homework. Suddenly, I felt this urge to get air, so I opened the window and closed my eyes and- and I saw it. This city. And I began to cry."

"Why?" Kayla asked carefully, setting down the photo on the table to look up at her daughter, "Why did you cry?"

"I don't know. I can't explain it. Something just came over me, this overwhelming sense of grief. I drew this until I fell asleep." Sarah explained quietly, "Why?"

Kayla composed herself, fitting her pretty lips with a fake smile, "I just- don't want you to be sad, that's all."

"I'm fine now. Really. It was weird. I think I was overtired." Sarah made up excuses, but Kayla could see the worry in her teenage daughter as well. Sarah finally straightened up, "I think I'm gonna work on my homework some more."

"Sounds good. Tell your brother to start his homework too. It'll be a good alibi when his father gets back." Kayla smirked, nodding up toward the stairs to send Sarah on her way. The young woman grinned and nodded, making her way back to her bedroom.

Kayla studied the sketch, but her mind was still thinking about her trouble-making son. She knew her husband would not be pleased with their son's shenanigans. Luckily Kayla had plenty of blackmail on the former Avenger to keep him in line.

James may have snuck out of the house, but at least he didn't sneak over enemy lines during a World War. Maybe he was his father's son after all.


	79. Chapter 79

About twenty minutes later, Steve came back into the house, panting and drenched in sweat. Kayla had moved from the kitchen to the living room, laying across the couch with a piece of paper in her hand. Steve pulled his shirt up to wipe the sweat off his face, breathing rapidly as he kicked off his tennis shoes before approaching his wife, "What'cha working on?"

"Something's going on with Sarah."

Steve smoothed down his shirt and huffed at his wife, "What makes you say that?"

"Because she drew this after seeing it in her mind." Kayla presented the somewhat crumpled sketch. Steve studied Kayla as he took the paper, watching his wife's weary expression for a moment before looking down at the drawing. Steve's jaw slackened as he realized what he was looking at. Kayla stared up at Steve as he studied their daughter's good work. "Steve?"

"What do you think this means? Do we have photos she's maybe seen? Does she know?" Steve breathed and Kayla shook her head, looking up the stairs to make sure the kids weren't listening. Kayla stood quickly and shushed Steve, pressing her finger to his lips.

"She doesn't know. There are no pictures. We've been careful, and we haven't been there in over twenty years. This- this is a coincidence. There's probably photos on the internet, they've probably talked about it in school. Wakanda being rebuilt after being wiped out is a huge part of history, and they are out of the shadows... there's a thousand ways she could have seen that city." Kayla assured Steve, keeping her voice low and her eyes raised to the upper level of their house.

Steve set the drawing down on the end table and scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I don't know, Kay. I don't believe that."

"I don't either, but I was trying." Kayla deadpanned and Steve followed her gaze upstairs, "There's been a few instances-"

"Weird things-"

"Yeah. Things that don't quite make sense, but I brushed them under the rug. We're not quite normal. I thought maybe it was a response to that."

"Coincidence?" Steve offered and the pair looked at each other.

"Coincidence." Kayla repeated. She looked down, drawing her eyebrows, "But she said she cried. Like, out of nowhere."

"Why? Is she okay?" Steve questioned and Kayla shot him a warning looking, telling him more with her emerald eyes than her voice ever could. "Right. Don't know."

"What do you want to do about this?" Kayla scooped up the drawing and clenched it tightly, adding a few more crinkles. Steve hadn't seen Kayla this scared in a long time, but she was that kind of quiet nervous that told Steve she didn't know how to fix the problem. Kayla loved fixing problems, and she didn't have all the variables.

Steve pulled his wife to his chest, and she rested her head against him, ignoring the sweat that still drenched his shirt. He stroked her hair gently with one hand and caressed her back with the other, trying to bring some comfort while trying to figure out a real answer, "We just have to be there for her, for whatever she needs. We'll help her through whatever's going on..."

Kayla nodded, "Yup. So basically what we've always done. Great. Great plan, Cap." Kayla murmured with a weak grin as she pulled away from Steve, "Take a shower. Take Zaddi with you, I don't know who smells worse." She teased, clicking her tongue to summon the dog and Steve groaned, leading the dog upstairs.

Before Steve reached the fourth step, he looked back, "Did James ever come down for breakfast?"

"Yeah. He had some eggs. He's lifting in his room. Something about leg day?" Kayla lied easily, and Steve raised his brow questioningly. After holding his gaze for a moment, she broke and shrugged. "Boys will be boys?"

Steve grunted and turned to go shower, letting his son off the hook for whatever he'd done this time. He closed his bedroom door and made his way to the bathroom, setting his phone on the bathroom counter and turning on the water. He left the shower door open a bit, allowing Zawadi to run ahead into the water while Steve got undressed. He pulled off his sweaty shirt and tossed it into the hamper, preparing to take off his sweats until he heard a buzzing coming from next to the sink.

He eyed his phone, preparing to let it go to voicemail until he saw the name on the screen. Steve scrambled to answer, sliding his finger across the screen and shoving the phone to his ear, "Tony? How are you-"

"She's gone Cap. Passed early this morning."

Steve's stomach dropped at the words and he stumbled back a step, leaning against the wall, "I'm so sorry, Tony. Is there anything we can do?"

"Not really. Nobody could. She didn't want help, she didn't want to live as something she wasn't... in the end it got so bad, we tried anyway." Tony's voice cracked as he admitted to ignoring his wife's wishes, but he was too selfish to let her die without exhausting every possible solution. "We, uh, we're in Wakanda now. Thought maybe the most technological country in the world would have figured out a way to fix heart failure. Honestly though, I kinda think our best option would have been to come back to your wife."

"I'm sorry. I really am. I can't imagine what you're going through." Steve murmured into the phone as he rubbed his eyelids.

Tony scoffed through the phone, "You never will. You'll live forever if she has her way. How's the wife and kids anyway?" Steve opened his mouth to answer, but Tony interrupted him, "Listen, I gotta go. Morgan's working on setting up the service. It'll be out at the lake in a few days."

"Tony, you know how much we'd want to be there but we've worked so hard to stay under the radar." Steve looked to his left to see his dog sitting in the shower with the water dripping down his head. Zawadi barked at Steve and the man put his finger to his lips to shush him as Tony spoke again.

"Oh I wasn't expecting you guys to show up. I'm not even going to be there. I was wondering if you wanted to keep me company while I lay low. I'd rather not be alone during my wife's funeral."

Steve smiled to himself, "Sure. You got it. We'll be there."

"I'll text you the details. See you soon, Steve."

"Bye, Tony."

Steve dropped his phone back onto the counter and leaned against the edge. There were two things that Stark said that bothered him, but the thing he couldn't shake was where Pepper died.

"Steve? You still in the shower?" Kayla called as she entered the bedroom. At the sound of her voice, Zawadi came barreling out into the adjoining bedroom to his mom. He leapt into her arms, soaking her before running his tongue across her face. "Zaddi!" She yelped, closing her mouth quickly so as to not get slobber in her mouth. She deposited the Rhodesian onto the carpet before flinging her arms out to dry off, "Steve?" She turned the corner and saw Steve, quickly grabbing his cheeks as he stared in the mirror with a haunted expression. Kayla held his cheek in one hand and scratched the back of his neck with the other, trying to pull him back to her, "Steve, darling, what's wrong?"

"Pepper's gone." Steve whispered, letting out a heavy sigh. Kayla's eyes widened and she leaned against Steve's bare chest, trying to comprehend what was happening. "She passed in Wakanda."

At that, Kayla lifted her head to look at Steve, "Why?"

"They thought maybe Wakanda would have the advancements to help. Tony said he wishes they'd have come to you instead." Steve explained quickly, but Kayla just shook her head, holding up an accusatory finger to Steve.

"Wakanda?"

Steve nodded, "Do you think Sarah knew? Could she sense it?"

Kayla's expression to his proposition was cold. She set her jaw and turned away, fidgeting a bit before turning off the shower water. Steve took a step closer and she whipped around to face him with her jaw tight, "Don't. Don't repeat yourself, I heard you the first time. Sarah... our Sarah, our non-super-soldier child can't 'sense' things like this. It was a coincidence."

"She woke up with a vision of Wakanda and an unexplainable sense of grief, and you don't think the two things are connected?" Steve challenged, placing his hands on his hips. A low growl emitted from Kayla's throat as she kept Steve's gaze, but her watery eyes betrayed her. Steve raised his brow and broke Kayla's spell.

"I don't want to believe they are." She croaked, swallowing back her tears, "Because if I start considering that, I have to start considering that she's special... and we know a lot of special people Steve, they wind up in terrifying spots."

Steve wavered a bit, lost in this idea of his daughter having some sort of magical powers. "We'll let it go. We aren't going to bring it up. And we sure as hell aren't going to run any tests."

"I wasn't going to suggest that." Kayla muttered under her breath, folding her fingers together and breathing into her fist, "Alright. So... is there a memorial?"

"Tony asked if you and I would come be with him while it happens. He can't be there." Steve answered and Kayla dropped her hands to hold in front of her stomach.

"Alright. Take a shower. I'll let the kids know what's happened." Kayla ordered before closing their bedroom door and walking across the hall to her kids' rooms. She knocked on Sarah's door first, then walked to her son's room to summon him.

As expected, Sarah revealed herself quickly as Kayla continued to pound on James's door. Sarah waited patiently, placing her hands on either side of her doorframe as she leaned forward to see her mother's vain attempts to be heard over the teen's loud music.

"James! Open the door!" Kayla yelled, but her voice was drowned out by the rock music blasting through the door. She stared at the 'Keep Out' sign bitterly before turning to her daughter.

Sarah fully emerged through her door to put up her hands defensively, "Don't look at me. He wouldn't listen to me if his life depended on it."

Kayla grunted and turned back to her son's room. She pounded her fist against the door, careful not to break it as he patience began to thin, "I know you can hear me. Open the door!"

Through the pounding of the drums, Kayla heard James groan loudly and his heavy footsteps approached until the door flew open, "What? What do you want?"

Kayla raised her brows questioningly and crossed her arms, threatening her son without a word. He stood up straighter so he was taller than his mom, pushing back his messy blonde hair before flipping a remote over his shoulder and silencing his music. Kayla tapped her foot anxiously as she began running through her next words carefully in her mind. "Your father just got a call from Uncle Tony... Aunt Pepper passed away last night." Kayla looked to Sarah, seeing the girl's face fall as she leaned against the wall. Kayla looked back to James, sizing the young man up before adding, "I thought maybe you'd want to know. If it isn't too much of an inconvenience for you to listen."

"Is Morgan okay?" James asked quickly as he surged out of his room, causing Kayla to take a quick step back.

"I don't know. He didn't say-"

"Are they coming home?" James asked softly, and Kayla recognized that look in his eyes. He tried not to smile, knowing it wasn't the right time, but it bloomed on his face anyway, "Can we see them?"

Kayla opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off by Steve emerging from their room to face his children, "The service is Thursday morning, sadly you guys will be at school. Maybe we can run up to the cabin this weekend if they are up for company. We need to give them time- they're hurting. They've been traveling."

"Where were they when she passed?" Sarah asked quietly, trying to be sensitive about the subject, unlike her brother.

Kayla looked up to Steve for an answer and he answered his daughter truthfully, "An African nation called Wakanda. They are very technologically advanced in every field. I guess they hoped for a miracle."

"I've heard of Wakanda. They were wiped out by Hydra. Rebuilt from scratch." James mumbled as he leaned against the wall, causing the concrete within it to creak under his weight. He crossed his arms and lifted his chin curiously, "Not really a vacation destination. How'd they get in?"

"I don't know James." Steve moaned in frustration, looking to his wife to deal with their son. Kayla just smirked and grabbed Steve's hand, giving it a soft tug as she took a step toward the stairs. Steve looked from his wife to his son, "I'm sorry." He turned to Sarah, studying her thoughtful blue eyes, "Try not to think about it. Please." Steve allowed Kayla to lead him away, and the two kids shared a glance before going back into their rooms.


	80. Chapter 80

The school bell rang at three o'clock on Monday, rapidly filling the halls of the high school with students. As everyone scrambled to get out of class, Sarah Carter stayed at her easel, continuing to work on her drawing until only the teacher remained.

"The bell's rung Miss Carter, time to go." The teacher informed, shooing Sarah away as she slowly began putting her pencils away. Sarah studied her work, pursing her lips as she noted all the things she wanted to clean up on the drawing. Her art teacher recognized that look and added, "I can't leave until you do."

Sarah snorted and zipped up her pencil case, "Right. Sorry." She rolled up the paper and put a rubber band around it to keep it secured before grabbing her shoulder bag from the ground near her station. "Have a good night!"

"See you tomorrow, Sarah." The art teacher answered without looking up, tapping away on her tablet as she created the school year's syllabus for the Junior art students.

Sarah kept her head down as she moved down the hallway to her locker, pushing her thin blonde hair behind her ear. She stopped in front of a plain grey locker and began turning the lock, ignoring the chattering behind her. While her classmates covered their space in posters and notes to each other, Sarah kept her personal things inside and out of view. She quickly deposited her drawing and pencil case into her locker, then grabbed onto the schoolbooks she needed to take home with her.

Sarah leaned away and grabbed the locker door, but it slammed shut before she had a chance to close it, causing her to jump back in surprise. She looked up at the taller girl with hair so black it almost glimmered blue in the school's fluorescent lights. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, but it was so thick and long it still reached to her mid-back. She popped her gum loudly as she looked down at Sarah with steely green eyes under thick lashes, "Sup, Carter?"

Sarah narrowed her gaze up at the girl, almost six feet tall with an hourglass figure that rivaled her mom's. "What do you want Miranda?"

"It's Homecoming week! Do you have a date yet?" Miranda asked casually, turning her hand around to study her black manicure. When Sarah didn't answer, she finally looked past her nails to the tiny blonde, no taller than five four. "I'll take that as a no. I can set you up with someone if you'd like."

"I don't need a date. I'm not going to the dance. Probably won't even go to the game." Sarah replied coolly, hoisting her bag farther onto her shoulder before attempting to leave the conversation. She struggled to balance with her heavy books and bag, but forced a step around the senior anyway.

Miranda sidestepped, easily blocking Sarah from her escape route, "Come on, where's your school spirit? You're going to miss your brother's last Homecoming game? That's not like you, Carter."

"He has plenty of cheerleaders, doesn't the? He won't even notice I'm not there." Sarah mumbled, keeping her head lowered as two more girls walked up to Miranda, giggling at the unfolding scene. Sarah twisted her lips as the girls surrounded her, keeping her trapped in her spot, "What do you _want _Miranda?"

"I was going to set you up with a date- that's all. Trying to do something nice." Miranda grabbed onto the end of her ponytail and flipped her thick hair back, "I was wondering if James had a date for Friday? Maybe we could double date? I know lots of nice guys who are looking for a date..."

"Ohhh, see, that makes much more sense." Sarah sneered, grinning as she finally looked up at the girl with a shrug. "I don't know. Probably. You run in the same circles as him, not me. Just because we live under the same roof doesn't mean he has to tell me things."

Miranda crossed her arms and tapped her boot against the floor impatiently, "Well maybe you can put in a good word for me. Let him know that I don't have a date yet... I've turned down lots of guys for a reason." Sarah grabbed onto the strap of her bag, using it to ground herself as she stayed silent and firm. Miranda hummed to herself, seeing she wasn't getting anywhere with the girl, "We'll try this again tomorrow. Hopefully with better results."

"Look forward to it." Sarah snarled, holding her ground against the bullies. After staring her down for a few seconds, they turned and waltzed down the hallway as the other students darted out of their way.

Sarah's shoulders deflated as they left, not actually looking forward to the ridicule she'd face on Tuesday.

* * *

"Carter, go long!"

James ran down the field, easily catching the football that was hurtled toward him before rolling from a somersault onto his feet. He raised the ball triumphantly as one of his friends called after him, "Show off!"

"Alright, huddle up!" The coach called from the sidelines as practice came to an end. The boys came running forward, grabbing water bottles to guzzle the beverage as they listened to their coach. He looked around at the boys with a proud grin on his face, "Big game's this Friday. It's the last one for a lot of you. Let's make it one to remember." He gave a pointed smile to James, who nodded as he drained his bottle easily.

The coach left and the boys began yelling happily over each other as they stormed the locker room, ready to shower and head home for the evening. They passed by the cheerleaders taking to the field to practice. James winked at them as they ran past them, and Miranda turned around and smiled cheekily, blowing a kiss in his direction before following the others.

Inside the locker room, James pulled off his pads and discarded them before yanking off his sweaty undershirt. Two of his friends, Brent and Hunter, sidled up next to him as they began pulling off their cleats. "So how was Jessica last Friday?" Brent teased as he kicked off his left shoe.

Hunter squished his face in disgust, "Dude, don't bring it up, I had to wash my sheets twice. When my parents got back from their trip I had to tell them my dog shit the bed."

James snorted and Brent laughed loudly, "Next time we'll party at Jimmy's place."

"Good luck with that- my parents never travel for work anymore." James chuckled as he knelt down to take off his own cleats, "Towel?"

"Why? You don't even break a sweat." Brent replied as he tossed a towel at James, who caught it easily with one hand while crouched down. Hunter smacked Brent on the chest, causing him to yelp and continue, "So, you got a date for Friday yet?"

"Nope." James answered easily as he stood back to his feet, draping the towel around his shoulders as he prepared to go shower. "Not really worried about it."

"Excuse me?" Hunter gasped, grabbing James's shoulder tightly, "Since when? It's like... your duty to choose a date. You'll be Homecoming King, you need to choose a Queen."

"Like I said, I'm really not that worried about it." James repeated as he started walking away, "I have my eyes on someone... beyond high school."

"That girl's finally back?" Brent called as James pulled aside a curtain to a shower. Before he closed it, James smirked coyly and his friends gasped, "She's back!"

"Shut up. Her mom died this weekend. I'm gonna take things slow." James answered as he yanked the curtain closed and turned on the water, but his friends stood outside the alcove anyway, waiting to harass him some more.

"You gonna go to the funeral?" Brent called loudly and Hunter smiled and greeted a boy passing by giving them weird looks.

"It's Thursday during class." James called back and the two friends shared a knowing look.

Hunter sighed, taking the lead as Brent gestured toward the shower, "So, you aren't going right? Because if you skip school you can't play on Friday..."

"I mean, as long as I'm back for practice, they'll never really know, right?" James replied just before the water shut off. Brent crossed his arms and stared at Hunter, and the other boy stammered, trying to come up with some way to convince their impulsive friend not to screw this up.

"I mean, theoretically, yeah. But is it worth risking it? It's Homecoming. Senior Year Homecoming, there will be scouts here, and- are you really willing to risk it for a girl? There's lots of girls. They'd all love to have you-" Hunter tried and Brent made a cut off motion near his neck, trying to get Hunter to stop talking.

"Have me?" James asked as he pulled the curtain aside, dressed in dark jeans and a blue t-shirt that fit a little too tight. When James crossed his arms, the shirt pulled against his muscles, showing off the reason his fellow classmates rumored he was on steroids. But they knew it wasn't true, they'd seen his parents. It was just good genes and a lot of lifting.

Sarah wasn't so easily explained.

"I mean,_ be_ with you. Be your date. To Homecoming. Everyone is waiting to see who you'll ask, just play the game James. One last time." Brent explained, carefully pushing Hunter away before he could say anything else insulting. "Come on man, we've got dates. It'll be a great night. My brother offered up his studio over the garage for a little after party if you know what I mean..."

James rolled his eyes and pushed past his friends, his mind almost made up. He chewed the side of his cheek though, showing he wasn't _completely_ set on forgoing the Homecoming dance.

"Miranda Rodriguez was putting out feelers with your sister earlier. Ya know, to see if she could use your sister to get into your bed." A voice called from the other side of the lockers. James clenched his teeth and tossed the towel to the side, causing his friends to panic and try to cut him off. He easily shoved past them to face his tormentor on the other side.

The bulky boy on the other side chuckled, seeing he'd hit a nerve with the star player, "Oh, I'm sorry? Did you not know? At least your sister is good for something, since she's not good for too much else. Although she _is_ a pretty little thing, maybe I'll ask her to the dance."

Hunter grimaced nervously and Brent smacked his face in frustration as James took a step closer to his teammate, "You wanna try that again, Chad?" He clenched his fist so tight his knuckles paled. The other players nearby started to scramble, seeing the linebacker was about to be pummeled by the team's quarterback.

Chad just smiled, shifting his feet into a fighting stance. "Oh, I'm sorry? Did you not hear me the first time? Your sister is pathetic." James ground his teeth at his teammate's taunting, grounding himself as he sized up his opponent. Chad was big, tall as James and even beefier. The blonde boy lowered his fists and took a long stride toward the door, pushing back the urge to pummel the linebacker.

Chad grunted, seeing James chicken out, "Smart move, Carter!" he called out loudly, causing James to freeze in place, so he added, "It's a shame though, I was really looking forward to getting my hands on Sarah. It's been a while since I fucked a virgin- She's too shy to say no, so I think she'd be the perfect date to our last homecoming... Since you're too much of a pussy to do anything about it."

James felt his back stiffen and he ran his tongue along his teeth as he steadied his breath. Brent and Hunter started to move toward him to usher him out, but James just turned around, holding his ground as he stared at his tormentor. His angry glare melted into a sneer and he cracked his knuckles as he chuckled to Chad, "We'll see."

Before Chad could get a good strike in, James pushed him up against the lockers, holding him with his forearm as he wound up with his right hand. Chad cringed as he prepared for the hit, and James didn't disappoint. He socked Chad square in the jaw, causing the boy's head to bash into the lockers, effectively ending the fight before it really started. As Chad fell to the ground, he looked up stunned and bleeding from his skull, unable to form words. James stumbled backward, realizing what he'd done just as the coach turned the corner of the locker room to see the scene. "What the- James!"

James winced, ducking his head and shrinking into himself, knowing whatever punishment his school would give him was nothing compared to what his father would do.


	81. Chapter 81

James heard his father's thundering footsteps from down the hall as he sat across from the school principal. He flinched as he heard the school secretary greet his parents, "He's inside with Mr. Bradly."

James looked to the principal who just sighed, already very comfortable with this dance. The Carters would show up and he'd explain what their son did this time. Katie Carter would listen intently, occasionally looking to her son with sad, ashamed eyes that would make him shrink into his chair beside her. She'd apologize profusely for whatever had happened, but she'd defend her son the best she could, often giving excuses about something that had happened at home that could have caused him to act out in such a way. When he skipped school, it was because he'd been helping his mom doing home renovations and was tired. When he got into words with another student, he was acting out because his parents had a fight. One time Katie explained that James fell asleep in class because he was up half the night helping his freshman sister with her science project.

While Katie did everything possible to protect her son, Steven Carter would stand behind his wife with a steely glare and set jaw. He wouldn't say anything until the end of the meeting, when he'd very firmly explain that it _wouldn't_ happen again. Whatever happened after the meeting was a mystery to the Principal, but he didn't want to be in James's shoes with the way his father would simmer quietly.

Principal Bradly prepared to begin their usual meeting, but was surprised when Steven entered alone and the door closed behind him. James's eyes became saucers when he saw his best defender was missing. He clamped his hands together and looked down, avoiding his father's gaze as the older man took a seat next to him.

"Mr. Carter." Principal Bradly greeted, feeling intimidated by the large man who sat in front of him as Steve reached out and shook his hand firmly.

"Principal Bradly." Steve replied with a curt nod, looking to his son but not addressing him, "What happened?"

"Well," Principal Bradly looked to the boy cowering in front of him, "James was involved in a bit of a locker room fight."

"Locker room fight?" Steve looked to his son, but the boy kept his eyes locked onto his shoes, "What kind of locker room fight? Who started it?"

"I didn't start it. Chad did." James grumbled as he crossed his arms defensively, "You wouldn't understand-"

"Where's the other guy?" Steve's voice stayed surprisingly even, and James's chest deflated as he felt a glimmer of hope. Maybe his father would take his side for once.

"Mr. Reynolds is being taken to the hospital by his parents." Steve's eyes widened and he gripped his chair tightly as he waited for the Principal to continue. The man sighed and added, "He has a severe concussion."

"_You what?_" Steve hissed as he whipped around to look at his son, "You gave someone a concussion? What is the matter with you?"

"He started it." James mumbled, seeing his hope vanish as quickly as it arrived. "I just want to go home."

Steve turned to the principal, his strong jaw slack. "I'm so sorry. Believe me when I say, he will be severely punished for this."

"I'll hold you to it, Mr. Carter." Principal Bradly said as he stood, giving Steve and James the signal that this meeting was finished, "We have lots of witnesses claiming James didn't start the fight, and Chad Reynolds will be talked to when he gets back to school. But we can't condone this type of violence. Detention the rest of the week. You're lucky it isn't suspension."

"But what about practice? It's Homecoming this weekend!" James yelped, earning a warning glare from his father. "Mr. Bradly, please, I'm the quarterback-"

"You should have thought about that before you knocked out your teammate." The principal warned, pointing at James as the boy quieted, "You can still play on Friday. If you don't cause any more trouble, I'll even consider letting you go to the dance. But you show up, you do your school work, and you keep your head down, do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." James sighed, allowing his father to lead him out of the office and out to his pickup. When they got to the parking lot, Kayla came scrambling out of the truck to see her son. She grabbed his shoulders and looked him up and down to make sure he was okay before checking Steve's expression.

"Honey, what happened? Something about a fight with another student?" Kayla questioned, but Steve's voice boomed over hers.

"Give your mother the keys to your car. You're coming with me." Steve ordered sternly and James looked to his mother worriedly. Kayla opened her mouth to question her husband, but he added coldly, "We'll see you at home, Kay."

Kayla let go of James's shoulder and he reached into his jean's pocket to grab his car keys. He handed them off to his mother and shuffled his way to the passenger side of his dad's truck. Kayla was shaking as she reached out to comfort her son. She hadn't seen her husband this angry in years. "It'll be okay, James-"

"Kayla." Steve warned, and she stopped talking, understanding that Steve wouldn't be undermined. She nodded understandingly and walked to James's car, sparing one last look before getting in and driving home.

Steve started the truck as James buckled up. They didn't look at each other and they didn't speak. It wasn't until Steve pulled out of the parking lot and turned the opposite direction of home that James knew he was in real trouble. He sighed and lowered his head submissively, causing his hair to fall in front of his face, "I'm sorry Dad. I didn't mean to-"

"To what? To knock out your classmate? What did you mean to do then? Huh?" Steve snapped, never taking his eyes off the road. James watched him shift his wrists as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "What the hell is wrong with you? You really hurt someone."

"You don't understand... I had to. That asshole had it coming to him-"

"Watch your language." Steve barked, finally sparing a glance at his son. His eyes bore into the younger version of himself, filling him with even more guilt. His chest felt heavy in shame, "I didn't raise you to be a bully."

"I'm not a bully." James spat back, but Steve wasn't listening. "Dad, I'm sorry, I don't know what you want me to do-"

"I want you to be better! All you do is sneak out and screw around and do God knows what! We raised you better than this!" Steve softened a little, knowing his son didn't understand the harm he could do. "You don't understand-"

"No, you don't understand! You don't understand what it's like to be me, because nobody ever counted on you. You were never put on a pedestal and judged on everything you did like I am!" James screamed back, pounding his fist against the dashboard, but Steve didn't even flinch. James growled, "Everyone is counting on me to be the best. You wouldn't know what that feels like in art school."

Steve slammed on the breaks, bringing them to a stop. James flung his arm out in front of him to brace himself, looking at his father like he was a madman. James waited for his dad to continue their screaming match, but Steve just stared ahead, his brows drawn. James grew frustrated at the silence and groaned, falling back into the seat, "Screw it. You wouldn't understand even if I told you."

"You punched your classmate against a locker. What more is there to understand?" Steve mumbled as he threw the truck into drive and took them home, not speaking again. James pulled out his phone and Steve reached over to grab it, tossing it into the door-side compartment. James drew his breath, knowing it would be in his best interest not to argue. He'd done enough damage for one day.

* * *

Steve dropped off James and drove off again without explanation. James watched him go before going up to the house, knocking so his mom or sister would let him inside. After a few moments, Sarah opened the door and stared up at her brother with wide eyes, "James?"

"Hey, Sarah." He grumbled as he pushed past her. She watched him take a right up the stairs, hearing the door slam. Sarah looked from the stairs to the kitchen, seeing Kayla close the fridge and sigh before going to check on her oldest child.

James sat on his bed with his head in his hands, thinking about how some simple locker room talk wound up getting him into this much trouble. He lifted his head when he heard the footsteps approach, "You can come in." He called before she even knocked, already knowing his mother would be on the other side.

Kayla pushed open the door to his bedroom, closing it behind her. "Hey James."

"Hi Mom." He echoed, laying on his back and staring at the ceiling so he wouldn't have to meet her gaze. "Dad's really mad."

"I gathered that. What did you do?" Kayla said easily as she sat beside her son, pressing her arm into the mattress to lean against it. She looked James up and down, not seeing any sign that he'd been hurt. "Did they even get a lick in?"

"Nope." James popped the 'p' sound loudly as he grabbed a foam ball from his bedside table. He began tossing the ball lightly toward the ceiling. "One punch and knocked him down. Gave him a concussion."

Kayla closed her eyes and sighed quietly, cautious not to let her son hear it, "Why did you punch him?"

"He was talking smack." James answered, tossing the ball again, but Kayla reached out and swiped it before it landed into his hand. "Hey!"

"I never played football in high school, but my boyfriends who did said people talked smack all the time. Some gentle rough housing, lots of teasing and towel whipping. But no concussions. So I'll ask again- why did you punch him?" Kayla said as she began tossing the ball in her hand, cornering her son into getting answers. He laid there quietly, not answering, so she tossed the ball back and he caught it, "It's just you and me Kiddo. You know you can tell me anything."

"He was making fun of Sarah." James mumbled. He grunted and sat up, tossing the ball lightly to his mom, "He said... I don't want to talk about it." James grumbled, and pushed back his hair, looking over his shoulder out the window. "Apparently the cheerleaders were harassing her today and he was saying all these awful things about the dance and her, and- and I lost it. I wasn't thinking. I messed up."

Kayla shuffled herself to sit beside her son, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and pulling him close to her. "Did you tell your father you were defending your sister?"

James snorted, leaning his head against his mom's as he stared at her hand on his knee, "No. It wouldn't make a difference."

"Yes, it would. It makes a world of difference." Kayla insisted, but James just twisted his lips, listening but not believing. He laid his weight against his mom and she smiled, happy she was still strong enough to hold her not-so small baby boy. She pressed a kiss to his messy hair and rubbed his back, "You need to tell him what the boy said-"

"Dad said I was a bully. You should have seen his face." James sighed and nuzzled Kayla's shoulder, "I think he hates me."

"Your father doesn't hate you, James. He just doesn't understand the situation. Because somebody didn't tell him..." Kayla trailed off, leaning away so James would sit up and look at her. "Sounds to me like you fought off the bully. I'm proud of you."

James rolled his eyes, "Where were you when I got detention? Or when Dad ripped me a new one?"

Kayla chuckled, "You still gave your classmate a concussion. You deserve it. Also-" Kayla stood and looked around the room, taking in her son's weight collection, "No more lifting for you. I think you're strong enough."

"I can always be better." James teased, but Kayla just raised her brow, "Yes ma'am. I'll be more careful."

"The other boys your age don't weight lift as a hobby, so, go easy on them. You knock anyone out again, your father won't let you play basketball." Kayla warned and James nodded, telling her he understood. She leaned over and ruffled James's hair, then left him alone, "I'm going to order pizza for dinner. You can eat in your room if you'd like, but you're walking on thin ice. Remember that."

James nodded as Kayla left, closing the door behind her. He grabbed the foam ball and tossed it through a hoop mounted on the wall opposite wall. He laid back on his bed, cursing himself for pulling his phone out and allowing his father to take it. His friends would be wondering what happened to him. They would accurately guess he'd been sent into exile.

Sarah opened the bathroom door adjoining their rooms, peaking her head in with her hand over her eyes, "You decent?"

"Yeah." James muttered, not wanting to hang out with his nerdy little sister. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. Mom said you got in trouble at school." Sarah dropped her hand and sat herself in his desk chair, leaning over the back to get a better view. James rolled his eyes dramatically and pulled a pillow over his face so his sister couldn't bother him anymore. "James, stop being a child, talk to me."

"Is Miranda Rodriguez bothering you at school?" His muffled voice asked and Sarah's cheeks heated up, not expected the conversation to turn on her so quickly. James pulled the pillow off his face and sat up. "Chad Reynolds said she was harassing you about being my date to Homecoming."

"She's the most popular girl in school. I'm an underclassman, and your little sister, I'm not surprised she's a bitch to me." Sarah replied confidently. She leaned her chin on her hands and grinned at her brother, "I'm not a baby, James. I can take care of myself."

"I don't care. Your my sister, the only person allowed to harass you is me." James replied with a small smile. It faltered when he remembered the locker room conversation, "Just, stay away from Chad, alright? If he tries to talk to you- if he tries to bother you, let me know. I'll put him in his place."

"From what I've gathered you already have." Sarah shrugged, scooping down and picking up the ball and tossing it to her brother. The throw was bad, but he still caught it and tossed it back underhand, so gently he could have been playing catch with a toddler. Sarah snickered to herself, pulling her long hair over her shoulder, "Everyone on social media is talking about you. Said you almost knocked him out and he got taken to the hospital."

"Yup. He deserved it." James said simply, throwing the ball a little too hard. Sarah realized his error before he did and leaned to the side, allowing the ball to pummel the wall instead of her face. James winced, "Sorry."

"It's fine..." Sarah trailed off casually as she pushed herself up with a grunt. She studied all her brother's trophies thoughtfully before asking what she really wanted to know, "Did you two get into a fight because of me? Someone online said you knocked him out because he made fun of your pathetic sister?"

"You are _not_ pathetic, Sarah, don't listen to those assholes." James slurred, patting the bed next to him as he swung his legs over the side. Sarah sidled up next to him and he put his arm around her and pulled her tight, "I love you, you know that?"

"I do. Only second after Mom." Sarah teased as she allowed herself to be squished, "I love you too."

"Kids! Pizza's here!" Kayla's voice called from downstairs and James released Sarah with a heavy sigh. "Guess it's time to face the music." James nudged his sister off his bed.

"Want me to grab you a slice?" Sarah offered and James raised his brows as he looked up at her. Sarah rolled her eyes, "Sorry, want me to bring you a pizza?"

"I'll do your chores for a week if I don't have to see Dad again today."

"Do my chores- and I get your allowance."

James considered her offer, narrowing his eyes before shoving his hand out to shake hers, "Deal."


	82. Chapter 82

"Long time- no see Cap." Tony's voice wavered when he greeted his old friend. He slowly moved down the steps of his cabin and into Kayla's outstretched arms to embrace her in a hug.

"Tony, I'm so sorry." Kayla mumbled as she hugged the aging genius, being careful not to break him. She stepped away and Steve pulled Tony into a hug as well, giving Kayla a chance to study their old teammate. His hair was thinning and grey and he looked frailer than last time they'd all been together. Kayla bit her lip, trying to steady herself as she watched Steve and Tony together. They'd once stood as equals, but Steve and Kayla were cheating the laws of nature. They were bartering for extra time.

Tony lead the pair into his cabin where Morgan was setting up the long table with food for the guests that would be arriving for Pepper's service after lunch. When she looked up and saw Kayla and Steve, she set down the plate of brownies she'd been holding and sprinted toward them, enveloping Kayla in a hug. "Aunt Katie, it's been too long!"

Kayla pulled away to study the young woman, tearing up at seeing the little girl so grown up, "Too long." She agreed as Morgan wrapped her arms lightly around Steve. When Morgan pulled away, Kayla got a good look at the girl, "You've grown so beautiful."

"You can call her Kayla now if you want, James and Sarah know." Steve added, causing Tony to raise his brow questioningly. "Well," Steve continued, "they don't know everything. They think we're in witness protection. But they know her name is Kayla."

"Witness protection? Smooth Rogers. Or did you forget, that's your real name?" Tony jested but Steve didn't respond. Morgan swatted her father's side and pushed past him to continue setting up for the service. Tony looked after her, pretending to be offended, "What? It's been, almost twenty years right? Although, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you haven't aged a day."

Kayla just shrugged, not realizing Morgan was looking over her shoulder in the kitchen to hear her answer. Kayla just offered her famous smile, the one that proved she had secrets to keep. "Sorry Tony, that's proprietary."

"Speaking of proprietary..." Morgan sing-songed as she pushed past her father to set down a tray of freshly sliced vegetables. "You three better skedaddle before people start showing up. I've got things from here."

Tony pulled his daughter into his arms and pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, "I wish I could be here with you. I hate that you have to do this alone."

"I won't be alone." Morgan said bravely, "And neither will you. You guys can catch up. Reminisce about the good old days." She laughed airily at the idea as she shooed the adults away. "You can watch from the basement. I can handle this. Mom taught me well."

Tony pulled a book from the bookcase, then tapped away on a keypad and the floor under the stairs moved away to reveal another staircase to the basement, "Uh, Rogers, you go first, I haven't cleaned out the security room since we've been back. So, you can fight off the rats and spiders. I'm mourning."

Kayla grabbed Tony's shoulder as her husband began to descend the stairs, "I've missed you."

Tony smiled up at the blonde, still looking thirty years young at over fifty, "The feeling's mutual, Kay."

* * *

"I can't believe you made me do this."

"It's fine. Calm down. Don't you want to be there?"

"I mean, yeah, but Mom and Dad will be there. They'll kill us for skipping class."

James scoffed as he drove down the old dirt road toward the Stark's cabin. He was a kid last time he'd been here, but he remembered the way like it was going home. "We are doing this for Uncle Tony and Morgan."

"You're doing this for Morgan. I'm doing this for you. I could have gone to class and come to see them this weekend like Dad said we would." Sarah grumbled, staring out the window. She felt her heart tug a little, swelling in a way that made her smile, so she looked over to her brother, "Please tell me you aren't going to make a move on Morgan... her mom died this week."

"That's so insensitive Sarah, gosh!" James scolded his sister with wide eyes. Then he bopped his head a little bit, "But, I mean, I'm sure she'll be sad. We're old friends. Friends are there for each other in their time of need. Which is now... right?"

Sarah made a show of rolling her eyes and gasping exasperatingly, "Yes. But I think your idea of being there for her is having her wrapped in your arms... at Homecoming... or in your bed."

"That is absolutely ridiculous and I'm appalled Sarah. I clearly should have left you home. You don't understand the gravity of the situation." James replied seriously, but Sarah just squished her face and pulled her head back, knowing her brother was gas lighting her. She shifted herself and relaxed into the seat. Her warnings fell on deaf ears, and James would find some way to make an ass of himself in front of their old family friend.

James pulled his red car up the drive toward the cabin. Sarah leaned forward, her eyes glowing gold for a moment as she studied the building, "I've missed this place so much. But this feels... familiar."

"The cabin?" We spent half our childhood here, of course it feels familiar. Stop being weird, let's go." James turned off the car and got out quickly, leaving Sarah to decipher her feelings alone. Something about the situation felt off to the teenager. After a minute, she slowly got out of the car anyway, but when she closed the door, she felt a wave of sorrow wash over her.

Sarah turned to look at the cabin again, seeing people she'd never met before, which was to be expected. It had always just been their two families. The people in attendance were dressed in black and bowing their heads in respect. She moved quietly, seeing as they'd already started a memorial down at the dock, looking for her brother in the crowd.

She felt herself move slowly toward the people, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. Sarah watched the people on the dock, feeling her own heart breaking as she felt their pain. She couldn't quite make out anyone on the dock, but she was sure Morgan and Tony would be toward the front. She thought for a moment she saw the back of her father's head, standing tall and proud as he always did, but she didn't feel comfortable placing herself that close to the memorial. Sarah stopped suddenly, realizing one of the men near the dock was almost eight feet tall. And green? Was he green? She began to look around, realizing the people directly to her left were multicolored, and had some sort of a dog? A rabbit?

"Where are you James?" Sarah whispered under her breath, beginning to panic as the world around her stopped making sense. She looked to her right and sighed, finally seeing someone she knew, "Uncle Bucky!" When she approached though, he looked right through her, like she wasn't even there. A familiar looking man grabbed Bucky's shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. Sarah looked around, "Where's Tess?" Suddenly, she noticed a tall, muscular blonde woman cradling a baby at the end of the line. She began to walk toward the woman, but a small brunette leaned forward and tilted her head.

"Sarah?" The stranger asked, looking right at the girl with glowing golden eyes. The stranger began to reach out toward Sarah-

"Sarah!"

She felt a hand grab her wrist and looked to her right to see her brother standing there. She panted, looking around to see that there were only a small handful of people on the lawn. "Did the memorial end?"

"What memorial?" James asked, following his sister's gaze, "You okay?"

Sarah tried to focus on the memory, but it was already gone, as if it wasn't hers to begin with. She finally looked toward the cabin, hearing chatter from the inside, "Let's go inside."

"Yes please." James grumbled. Sarah scurried after James as he took the lead, allowing her brother to hold the door open for her and usher her inside. As the door closed behind her, Sarah looked around, suddenly feeling like she was on a different planet. She'd once considered this place a second home, but now she felt like an outsider, like she knew its secrets and couldn't tell. She tried to force away the haunted feeling in the pit of her stomach, grabbing onto a brownie and shoving it in her mouth nervously.

Her brother noticed her sudden appetite and pulled his focus away from his search for Morgan long enough to bring it up. "What's wrong? You're doing that weird 'stare off into the distance' thing again."

"I'm fine. It's nothing. I'm fine." She repeated, kicking at the floorboard with her shoe. "I just feel like we shouldn't be here. What will Mom and Dad say when they see us?"

"Are they really going to yell at us at Aunt Pepper's funeral? I think not." James explained under his breath, turning to look over his shoulder when he heard someone laugh. That's when he saw her.

Sarah watched it happen. His jaw hung open and his eyes locked onto his target. Sarah snapped her fingers in front of his face, but he didn't even notice. Sarah half expected James to melt into a puddle at the sight of the woman. He was a goner.

From across the room, Morgan laughed again, her voice hanging in the air as she talked to a larger man in his early seventies with a grey beard. She turned her head and her gaze fell on Sarah and James, and the smile slipped off her face so fast, Sarah half expected to hear glass break. Sarah pushed James's jaw back up as Morgan practically floated across the room, smiling and greeting people as she moved to meet her old friends. "Sarah- James! What are you guys doing here?" She breathed out quietly, quickly pulling Sarah into a rushed hug before looking James up and down nervously. "It's good to see you both!" She eeked out as she threw her arms around James, pulling away far quicker than he had hoped.

"It's so good to see you too. You look... wow." James breathed out, allowing himself a good look at the woman. Morgan placed her hands on her hips, eyeing the other people nervously, but so far nobody had noticed the resemblance between this young boy and the former Captain America. After a moment, she returned the sentiment, seeing how very _handsome_ James had become in the five years since she'd last seen him.

Morgan quickly raised her head to look up at her old friend, almost able to look James in the eyes in her black kitten heels. She silently berated herself for thinking about the last time she'd seen James. But that last kiss replayed like an old movie, romantic and too good to be real. Still, it was flattering to see how he looked at her like she was the only person in the room, "Thank you." She finally said, wishing she could talk to them. But it was only a matter of time before somebody put two and two together. In the real world, nobody would think twice about how similar James looked to Captain Steve Rogers. The people currently mourning her mother would though.

Morgan looked nervously over her shoulder, and Happy gave her a questioning look, as if to ask if the boy was bothering her. "I wish I could talk more, but I should continue making the rounds. Thank you for coming. I'll call you." Morgan bid James and Sarah goodbye, causing the spell over James to break at her absence.

"Where's Uncle Tony? We want to see him, too." Sarah called nervously, wanting to see someone else she knew to ground her. She swiped another brownie from the table and chewed it quickly, using it as a way to prove she wasn't dreaming. Her words caused several people to turn and look at her like she was crazy. Sarah caught their bewildered stares and shrunk back into herself, embarrassed that she'd apparently say something wrong. "Unless-"

Before she could speak again, Morgan was back to the pair and standing so close James could smell her perfume. The brunette's attention was locked on his sister though, "He's not here. He said it was too painful, but I wanted to do it for Mom." Morgan noticed that Sarah was quivering, but didn't have time to understand why. Her friends needed to leave.

"Oh... I'm so sorry." Sarah stuttered, taking a step back as her face flushed. "Please give him our love."

Morgan nodded feverishly, "I will. I promise. I'll see you soon."

"I have a game tomorrow!" James exclaimed as Morgan turned to walk away. Sarah shot her brother a frustrated glare as Morgan whipped back around, realizing how loud he was being. She stared at him with her bright eyes, realizing Happy and Rhodey were now walking towards them. She needed to get them out now.

"Yeah. I'll be there. Like I said, I'll call you." Morgan replied frantically, waving and sweeping away toward the kitchen, leaving the tall blonde waving like an idiot in her wake.

"Alright, well, we've done what we came to do. Let's go. We can still make it back before free period and have a chance to get away with this." Sarah hissed as she pulled on her brother's arm. "Come on James, let's go. We don't know anybody here."

"You two shouldn't be here."

James and Sarah turned to see a redheaded woman in her forties standing behind them with a cup of tea in her hand. She had a small smile on her dark lips as she sized them up. James crossed his arms, pulling on the fabric of his green shirt as he lifted his nose to the air defensively. The woman chuckled and Sarah saw her eyes glow red for a moment. She took a step back and the woman turned her attention to the young girl, narrowing her gaze before tilting her head.

Sarah kept her gaze, feeling a sense of ease come over her for the first time since they arrived, "Have we met before?"

"No. Not really, but I knew your parents." She looked up at James and he softened, letting his hands down as she studied the boy, "_You_ need to leave."

"Me? Why me? Who are you?" James spat, but the woman's attention was already back to Sarah. James grabbed his sister and pulled her back a little, "We should be going."

"Yes. Before someone else figures out who you really are." The woman warned. Her small smile broke into a sly grin, "Before _you_ figure out who you really are."

James pulled Sarah away, out the front door and past the prying eyes who watched the two teenagers curiously. He looked around, seeing the chairs at the edge of the deck were empty, so he led Sarah and sat her down in the corner so he could face away from all the people in attendance. "Hey? You okay? That lady was freaking weird."

"I feel like I know her." Sarah whispered, looking up beyond her brother to see the larger man with the mustache studying her before walking down the steps. Sarah turned back to her brother and grabbed his hands. He realized she was shaking as she spoke, "I can't explain it-"

"She's weird. Don't listen to her." James said again with a shake of his head, "Aunt Pepper has some weird friends and family."

"We don't know who we really are James. What if they do? Mom and Dad aren't here. What if these people know who we were before..." She trailed off and her brother just groaned loudly, rising to his feet.

"Whatever, let's go. Mom and Dad are around here somewhere. I'll prove it to you-" James turned to walk away and ran into something tall and solid. He looked up and exclaimed, "Uncle Bucky!"

Bucky didn't share his excitement, staring down at him pointedly as he crossed him arms, "What are you two up to?"

Sarah breathed heavily, staring at Bucky until Tessa appeared beside him, proving that this was real and they were really there.

James laughed nervously as Sarah stood and scrambled around the table to give Tessa a big hug, "This was James's idea." Sarah tattled quickly, looking at her brother as Tessa kept her arms around Sarah's waist.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Tessa chuckled, raising her brow to James, "Shouldn't you two be in school?"

"We couldn't just not show up to Aunt Pepper's funeral. It's important." James defended and Bucky tilted his head, waiting for the truth. James kept his gaze for a few moments until Bucky raised his brow questioningly and the boy broke, "We wanted to see Morgan."

"And how did that go?" Tessa asked, looking up to meet her husband's eyes knowingly. She worked hard to hold back her smile as Sarah leaned into her, finding comfort in Tessa's arms. The two were about the same height, which made Tessa one of the few people who didn't look down on Sarah. Figuratively or literally.

"It could have gone worse." Sarah responded and Tessa nodded, somewhat impressed.

Bucky ruffled Sarah's hair with his right hand, then turned back to the boy, "I'd get moving along if I were you. Your parents left about an hour ago, something about their kids cutting school."

"Shit!" James cursed under his breath as Tessa released Sarah. James motioned over his shoulder as he walked backwards toward the stairs, "Gotta run! You guys will be at my game tomorrow, right?"

"Would miss it for the world, Kid." Bucky called back as James trotted quickly down the steps with his sister not far behind. Bucky leaned against the wooden pillar, clenching his teeth nervously as Scott Lang walked past the teenagers with his wife and adult daughter.

Scott saluted James and greeted him with a 'Sir' before continuing on. James turned to stare at the man with a puzzled gaze, confused about the stranger's greeting. He finally shook off the odd encounter and unlocked the car so he and his sister could leave. He didn't realize the man had done a double take, whipping back around to get a better look at the man.

"Jesus." Bucky murmured and Tessa rubbed his back as he stared at Scott. Scott pointed over his shoulder at the retreating car with a gaping expression, but Bucky filled in the blanks, "Don't think too hard about it Ant-Man..."

Morgan walked out the door, gazing down at the road at the trail of dirt before looking up to the roof with a slight nod to herself. Without explanation, Bucky took a seat and leaned back in the chair, putting his feet up on the table before pulling out his phone. Tessa sighed and stood at his side, listening in to his hushed conversation.

"Are they gone?"

"Yes."

"Did the kids say anything to you guys? What did Wanda say to them?

Bucky looked to his wife and Tessa just shrugged, knowing neither of them had been around when the Scarlet Witch had approached the kids. "We don't know. They seemed a little shaken, but I don't think they know," Bucky answered truthfully. "They are on their way home. I told them you left an hour ago when you realized they skipped school."

Steve and Tony exchanged a glance and Kayla took the phone from her husband's hand, "Skipping school will be the least of their worries now." She hung up the phone and handed it back down to Steve, going back to staring at the monitors in the basement's command center. She looked down at the men from where she stood, frustration and nerves written across her pretty face, "I think it's time we tell them the truth."


	83. Chapter 83

James power walked down the hallway, dragging his sister by the wrist, "Where should you be right now? Where do you go next?"

"I'd be in history, then I go free period in the art studio." Sarah hissed in return, wheezing as she forced her feet to keep up. "The bell's gonna ring in just a moment, let me go, I'll be fine."

"Remember, we were here the whole time." James looked up as the school bell rang, warning students they had seven minutes to get to their destination. As students filled the halls, James released his breath and turned to his sister, relieved they'd somehow managed to make it back in time. "I have detention after Post-Snap Sociology. You can work on your... whatever you do while I'm stuck in there." James grumbled, nodding in greeting to one of his friends as he and Sarah went their separate ways.

James was so close to reaching his destination when he heard his coach call his name. He clenched his teeth and stiffened, slowly turning to face his coach as he smiled, "Hey Coach! What's up?"

The football coach crossed his arms as he smirked at his star quarterback, having spent the better part of four years covering for him so he could lead their team to victory, "Heard you skipped AP Calculus this morning. What happened?"

James pulled his head back in surprise, looking at his coach like he had two heads, "What? That's weird, I was totally there-"

"Cut the bull crap, Carter. You know you can't cut school and play in the game tomorrow night. You're already in hot water for being in detention instead of practice."

"Please, I had to go to a funeral with my sister." James pleaded, lacing his hands together to beg dramatically, "A funeral Coach, come on- that can't count."

"Did you get a note from your parents?" Coach deadpanned, already having a good idea what the boy's answer would be.

James shifted a little, looking at the clock to see he was down to two minutes till class, "I mean, no... they didn't really want us skipping school to go."

"But you did it anyway. And showed up in time for last period to pretend you were here the whole time. Wow." Coach clapped obnoxiously as James grimaced, "That's a new level, even for you Carter!" The coach pulled his hand down his face in frustration, "I can't let you play. You're gonna be benched."

"Are you freaking serious? Coach... Come on, I'm the quarterback! You guys need me!"

"Yeah, we needed you this week too for practice, but you had to break Chad's face." Coach replied, looking at the clock. "Go to class. You'll sit out. Be happy you get to suit up at all."

James groaned loudly, slamming his hand against the wall angrily, "It's my last Homecoming!"

"Sorry James, should have thought about that before skipping school." His coach shrugged as he continued on his way, leaving James to simmer alone.

The blonde teen threw his head back and moaned before hearing the bell begin to ring, quickly darting into the classroom and sliding into his seat before his teacher could mark him tardy. The senior teacher stared at him with tight lips, not amused by his last minute entrance.

"Alright, since tomorrow's Homecoming, I'm going to be nice and not give you homework over the weekend." The class erupted into cheering and whooping until she motioned for them to calm down. "That being said, we're having a pop quiz tomorrow, so saddle up for review today." Several of James's classmates moaned, but he was too distracted by his future to care about taking an easy quiz.

_I can't believe I don't get to play tomorrow._

"The past couple of weeks we've been studying the effects of the snap on human society and the lives of those who survived. We've come to learn it was a creature named Thanos from beyond our world who caused the event."

James chewed on his pen cap, half listening to his teacher and half dwelling on his own mistakes this week. He stretched out his long legs and leaned back in his chair to get a better look at the holographic board showing photos as his teacher continued to speak.

"... the suicide rates skyrocketed, especially among parents who suffered the loss of their children..."

_Was it even worth it? Was Morgan even happy to see me? She seemed... nervous..._

The teacher looked around at the class, "Were any of you snapped?"

Several of the students tentatively raised their hands, so James sighed and raised his hand too. His teacher scanned the room and her eyes eventually settled on James, "You all couldn't have been more than a couple months old. How do you think your parents felt?"

"My mom and I both snapped. Dad was devastated. He got remarried eventually though. Growing up was... awkward." One girl chuckled casually with a shrug. She looked around the room, then back to the teacher, "My cousin was five when my aunt and uncle were both snapped. He was adopted in the time they were gone. He never went back to them because he didn't remember them."

_...Mom and Dad are going to kill me for dragging Sarah out of school..._

"Suddenly, plans, hopes, dreams- they all disappear. I heard a story once about a man who's wife turned to ash at the alter." The teacher said, meeting a student's mortified gaze. "He never moved on, but when she came back he was on his death bed. He died of cancer within a week of her return."

_...I wonder if today is the day that Dad finally snaps. He's going to kick my ass..._

"The internet crashed for two months. Electricity came in and out for weeks. Garbage sat by the side of the road until the wild animals tried their luck. There were lootings, shootings, and mass panic. People moved out of the cities. They left everything behind. I remember seeing people walking out of the city because they didn't have enough money to fuel up their car."

_...Mom will have my back. She knows how close we all were to Aunt Pepper. We should have been there in the first place, she'll get that..._

A swift kick in the back of James's chair brought him back to reality and he sat up, letting his pen fall to his desk as he grunted. He quickly turned around, seeing the guy behind him put his hands up in apology, the kick on accident, but James wondered if he'd started dozing off. He shifted, leaning forward to place his elbows on the desk and place his palms on his cheeks as he zoned out again.

"But in time, things got easier." His teacher said softly, looking out the window wistfully, "We rebuilt what we could. We let go of what we couldn't. It was hard, it was sad, but we made it through. Lucky for us there were those who didn't give up. We'll leave it at that for today."

The bell rang loudly and James looked up at the clock. He wasn't sure if he really had fallen asleep or if he'd just been that zoned out, but it was time for detention. He grunted and stood, struggling to get out of the desk that was too small for his large frame. He let his classmates leave the room first, not in a hurry to run to detention.

"You were a snap baby, Mr. Carter?"

James looked back at his teacher and shrugged. She'd been his U.S. History teacher freshman year, Criminology teacher sophomore year, his U.S. Government teacher junior year, and finally his AP Post-Snap Sociology teacher as a senior. She knew the young man well, but there was something familiar about the boy.

"I was. My mom was in labor when I dusted." James answered simply, looking over his shoulder as his teacher nodded thoughtfully. "Why?"

"Just curious. You've never mentioned it before."

"It's not important. I'm here now, and my mom's okay. That's all that matters." James answered, bowing his head in a silent farewell before trudging his way to detention. His teacher watched him go, chewing the inside of her cheek thoughtfully.

* * *

Detention may as well have been a decade long for James, because he finished his homework easily in twenty minutes, then spent forty minutes staring at the ceiling. To make matters worse, the only other person in detention with him was Chad.

"So did your pretty little sister find a date yet?" Chad snickered and James rolled his eyes, never taking his gaze off the ceiling. Chad grunted and spoke louder, "Haven't seen her around much today, I hope Miranda didn't get to her first."

"I already talked to Miranda on Tuesday. That's been sorted out." James mumbled, still not giving Chad the time of day as he drew circles in the popcorn ceiling with his green eyes. The teacher looked up and shushed the boys, so James finally sat up and looked to Chad. He raised his finger to his lips to tell Chad to be quiet, not working as hard as he should have to hide the smirk on his face.

Chad ground his teeth together. His face was black and blue and he had a bandage on the back of his head. Chad was one of the biggest guys in school and the battered and bruised look didn't suit him well. Chad seemed to give up on tormenting James, seeing as James didn't care much about his taunts today.

"Alright, detention is over for the day. Go home. Don't cause any more trouble." The teacher yawned as he set down the book he'd been reading while watching his wards. James and Chad scrambled to their feet and darted toward the door, but James easily took the lead. He looked around frantically, trying to find his sister before Chad did.

"Where'd you go?" James grumbled to himself as he pulled out his cell phone and texted Sarah.

_Where are you?_

He tapped his foot, looking around the empty hallway as Chad studied him, trying to understand what he was waiting for.

_I'm home..._

James blew out the breath he'd been holding through pursed lips, knowing his sister was safe from Chad's tormenting, but it presented a new question.

_How did you get home?_

_Mom picked me up. Left Dad to ride home with you._

"Damn it." James growled under his breath, shoving his phone back into his khaki slacks. He pushed back his shaggy hair and strode toward the parking lot, not even slowing down when Chad yelled to him.

"See you at the game tomorrow, Carter. On the sidelines that is."

James slammed his eyes closed, forcing himself to stay calm. If he had done that on Monday, he wouldn't be in this mess of detention now. When he left the school's side door, he saw his father leaning against his car. James gulped down his nerves as he approached his dad, trying to decide how he wanted to play the situation. Sarah was already home, so the chances were good that an excuse would only get him in more trouble.

Steve pushed himself off the red car and grabbed James by the shoulder, squeezing as he studied the boy, "Ohh, James. What are we gonna do with you?"

"I know, Dad. I know." James mumbled, dropping his head as his father kept a tight grip on him, "I have to sit out at the game tomorrow... for skipping school today."

Steve nodded, taking in the information before deciding on his response, "Well, I guess not playing your last Homecoming game is punishment enough. You even came back to go to detention?"

"I was hoping to get away with it." James muttered and Steve laughed, using his free hand to grab his stomach as he shook his head.

"You can't keep stuff from your mother and I, that's your mistake. Especially your mother. She knows everything." Steve teased, releasing James's shoulder and nodding toward the driver's side. "We should have let you guys come to the funeral. We just didn't want you to miss school."

"It was important to us that we were there." James said seriously as he turned on his car, looking at his dad defiantly, "Morgan needed us there."

"Oh really? Did she?" Steve laughed back as his son threw the car into drive, "I'm sure this had nothing to do with _you_ wanting to see _her."_

James took a deep breath, more uncomfortable with his dad's joking mood than he would have been with Steve's angry one, "Come on Dad, her mom died. I kinda thought she'd be happy to see us."

"She wasn't?" Steve asked seriously, and James just shrugged. Steve softened a little at his son, and added, "After everyone left, Tony called to thank us for coming. Apologize for missing us, but he said Morgan really appreciated it."

James grinned at that, flipping his blinker as he rolled to a stop at an intersection. "So, you aren't mad?"

"No. I'm not." Steve admitted as he turned to get a good look at his boy. He raised his brow at James, seeing his son's smug expression, "I _am_ still mad at you for beating up your classmate."

"He deserved it."

"Yeah, your mom told me what happened." Steve exhaled as he fiddled with the withering fabric of his seat belt. "I appreciate you looking after your sister, but violence isn't really the answer."

"I don't know, it shut him up pretty quick." James offered and Steve's brows dropped into a straight line, a disapproving look James saw more than his actual smile. "Sorry. Violence is never the answer. Got it."

Steve reached across and ruffled James's hair as he pulled into the driveway. "That's my boy. Get cleaned up for dinner. Your mom can't wait to pester you about seeing Morgan today."

James groaned loudly and threw his head back against the head rest, "Can't I just go back to detention instead?"

"Nope. You skip school, you get to face your mother's teasing. That's your punishment. Unless you'd rather be grounded?"

"Fine. But she won't get anything out of me." James replied before bending down to get out of the low riding car. Steve followed suit, letting his son take the lead into the house. Steve and Kayla were banking on their son being tight lipped, already knowing how the conversation with Morgan went. They'd seen everything, and agreed to let their son get past his Senior Homecoming before admitting he was the product of an executed scientist and a World War II soldier. Any reason to hold onto their little piece of normalcy a little bit longer.


	84. Chapter 84

Homecoming. The school was abuzz with excitement as the students prepared for the biggest game of the year. They were playing a good school, not their rival by any means, but what should be an easy win for Homecoming. That was, if the school's star player wasn't stuck on the bench all night.

James shoved his books into his locker with a sigh, having already disappointed half the student body by admitting he wasn't actually playing in the big game. Chad snickered as he walked by with Miranda on his arm, some sort of consolation prize to show neither of them needed James Carter. He wasn't even sure if he'd go to the dance at all.

"Stop being such a sourpuss, Carter, at least Principal Bradly is letting you go to the dance." Hunter hissed as he closed his locker, pulling a note out of his back pocket to push through the slits of the locker two down. James drew his brows at his friend and Brent just shook his head with a sigh.

"You know it's an asshole move to break up with her in a note."

Hunter shrugged, "She won't get it until Monday. We aren't really 'dating' so much as we are 'enjoying each other's company'" Hunter said in air quotes as the three started walking. "I feel like it's a good way to let her down easy. I let her know we should pursue all available options before limiting ourselves with labels."

"That's stupid." James blurted and Brent gestured toward James in agreement. "I don't even have a date for the dance, and I'm totally fine with it. I might not even go, like I said, I might have better things to do..."

"Hey, how'd yesterday go? The funeral with the girl, right?" Brent questioned as they pushed through the doors into the cool autumn air.

James licked his lips, clicking the fob for his car, "It went okay. She seemed a little off."

"Maybe because her mother died?" Brent supplied as they stopped by James's car, "Did you ask her to come tonight?"

"Against my better judgment and before I got benched, yes. She said she'd call me. She didn't, so I'm going to assume that's a no... Which to be perfectly honest is fine, because tonight is going to be a shit show." James sighed as he opened his car door. "Wanna ride? I'm just going to grab a burger or two before the game."

Hunter and Brent looked to each other, then Hunter made a big show of shrugging at his friend, "Sure. I mean, who else is going to hold your six hundred and twenty-two cheeseburgers while you drive?"

"That's absolutely ridiculous." James snapped, grinning ear to ear, "I only need six hundred and fourteen."

* * *

"Sarah, company's here, come down for dinner!" Kayla called upstairs, pulling her daughter's attention away from her drawing. Sarah squinted at the paper, trying to pull the memory from her mind, but she just couldn't see the funeral again. She'd been trying since yesterday afternoon to remember what she'd seen when she zoned out. It had seemed so real, like a memory, not a dream. For some reason, though, she just couldn't picture it again.

"Give me just a second, I'll be right there!" Sarah called loudly, clearing her throat afterwards as she made another fuzzy line to the small woman she somewhat remembered. Seconds turned to minutes, and the smell of salmon and fried vegetables wafted upstairs, but it still wasn't enough to break Sarah's concentration. It wasn't until a knock on her doorframe that she turned from her work. "Morgan!"

"Hey Sarah." Morgan greeted the younger girl with a hug. She pulled away and studied her friend, and Sarah could tell Morgan was clearly more comfortable than she'd been the day before. "What are you working on?"

"Oh." Sarah looked over her shoulder to the messy drawing, realizing she'd sketched Morgan's home into the picture, "It's nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing." Morgan said happily as she moved into the room to get a better look. She studied Sarah's art for a moment before asking, "Is this my place?"

"Yeah. I- it's hard to explain." Sarah stumbled, trying to dig herself out of the hole instead of deeper into it. "Do you ever see something in your mind and can't shake it? Like a dream, but you're awake?"

"Like a daydream?" Morgan questioned and Sarah shook her head.

"No. Like... well, maybe like a daydream. I just felt like I was having a memory, but, I didn't recognize anyone in it." Sarah explained, pressing her fingertips together to stretch out her fingers. "Like I said, it's weird. Sometimes I just like to sketch things to get them out of my head."

Morgan nodded, taking in the information, "Dad says your dad loves to draw too. You must get it from him."

"Yeah, he always drew with me when I was a kid. He still does, sometimes. He likes to go up to the attic and be alone." Sarah shrugged, looking at her sketch one more time, "Let's go eat. I'm sure you're starving."

Morgan smiled softly, gesturing for Sarah to lead the way out of the room, allowing her one last good look before following.

* * *

"Dinner was absolutely wonderful, Aunt Katie. Thank you so much!" Morgan cooed as she sat her napkin on the table. She sat her hands on her lap, pretending not to notice Sarah feeding chunks of fish to Zawadi under the table.

"You're quite welcome. Thank you for coming to visit! We've missed you." Kayla answered softly. She smiled sadly then added, "Please call me Kayla. We've told James and Sarah a bit more about our situation... I'm sure your father's talked to you about it."

"Yes. Yes he has." Morgan answered carefully, trying to gauge where Kayla wanted the conversation to go. "I don't know a lot of details though."

Kayla took a long swig of her water, lowering her brows when she saw Sarah feeding her dog, "Well, neither do they. But when we went into witness protection we were told we could tell them when they reached eighteen. There's a small window where they both are, but perhaps we can bend the rules a little bit. Sarah isn't the one to make trouble."

Sarah snorted, stabbing a bite of beans with her fork and munching on them happily. "Yeah, I actively try not to get arrested."

"Arrested?" Steve lifted his head to Kayla and she looked to their daughter in annoyance. Steve tilted his head to his wife, but she waved him off, turning back to Morgan and Sarah across the table.

"So are you two coming to the game tonight or..." Kayla trailed off, ignoring Steve's questioning glare about the previous comment.

Morgan opened her mouth to answer, looking to Sarah questioningly, but the blonde just continued eating her vegetables now that her fish was dog food. "I, uh, thought that was kind of the point?"

"She means because James isn't playing. He got in trouble for skipping school yesterday." Sarah supplied casually. When she caught Morgan's surprised look, she shrugged, "He said it was worth it to see you. Not sure how he'd feel about you coming to his game though, since he's not playing and he's kind of embarrassed."

"Oh, I mean, what do you want to do?" Morgan questioned, looking over to Steve and Kayla, who were whispering back and forth on the other side of the table. Kayla turned her face to Morgan, wondering what she'd said. "What are you guys going to do?" Morgan repeated and Kayla looked to Steve.

"We'll still go. It's his last Homecoming, and we want to support him. But you two don't have to go. You can stay here if you'd like." Kayla said, gesturing to the living room, "You'll have the house all to yourselves, and you're more than welcome to stay over if you'd like Morgan."

"On the couch. Or you can bunk with Sarah." Steve clarified and Sarah literally dropped her fork on her plate to stare at her father. He looked to her and mouthed "what?" but didn't say anything more about the matter.

"We'll stay here. Hang out. Watch movies. Catch up!" Morgan said quickly, beaming at Sarah, "Plus, I'd like to see more of your work."

Sarah pushed herself from the table, ready to get back to work and maybe pick Morgan's brain about who she'd seen. "We'll clean up while you guys are at the game. Get out of here, you don't want to be late."

Kayla smiled gently, grabbing Steve's hand and giving it a squeeze, "If you change your mind you can always come late. We'll see you both after the game."

"Thank you again for dinner, Aunt Kayla." Morgan said, careful to say the correct name, and the beaming grin on the woman's face told Morgan she'd done the right thing.

Kayla turned to Steve once the girls were gone and he answered her question before she could ask it, "We'll tell them tomorrow. Or perhaps Morgan will let it slip tonight and save us the trouble."

"She never slipped growing up." Kayla remembered, fondly recalling weekends by the lake.

Steve grabbed his and Kayla's plates and carried them to the sink, "Adults usually slip up more than children anyway."

Morgan took a seat on Sarah's bed as Sarah picked up her pencil. She heard the door close, signaling Kayla and Steve had left for the game, leaving the two young women to their own devices. Morgan studied the framed photos of the family, lingering especially long on one of Sarah and Steve together. They were working with clay, forming some sort of mug, but Sarah had wiped the excess on Steve's nose, causing him to grin mischievously at her in response. The more Morgan looked at it, the more she started to see the fabric of it, realizing it wasn't a photo, it was a drawing. "You are really talented Sarah." Morgan gawked as she stood up to get a closer look, realizing everything on the wall was hand drawn. "You could do this for a living you know."

"That's what Dad says, but I always just brush it off as him stroking my ego. He's the really talented one." Sarah retorted, finally pressing the pencil to paper. "His style is like, 1950s newspaper comic style. I'm more into photo-realism. But I enjoy his work. There's a little book over there with all the drawings he did for me... and eventually with me. You'll be able to tell when I joined in." Sarah laughed as she shaded the eyes of the woman who had looked right at her, remembering her more clearly than anyone else other than Bucky.

Morgan flipped through the scrapbook, taking in Steve's drawings of Sarah and James and Kayla with her kids. After a while, there would be random crayon colors inside the lines, signifying Sarah had entered the picture. Crayon marks turned to colored pencil marks and suddenly the pages were perfectly in sync. Morgan noticed the signatures at the bottom of the drawings and frowned when she realized they all said Steve. Not Steve Carter. Certainly not Steve _Rogers_. Just Steve, and eventually Steve and Sarah, and finally just Sarah Carter. Morgan imagined it was hard for Steve to sign something he'd worked so hard on as somebody else. "This is really cute. I like the additions of your colors." Morgan giggled, closing the book and setting it back down on the bookshelf near the window.

Sarah responded with a frustrated groan, "I can't do this anymore tonight." She flipped over the cover and turned to Morgan with her hands on her hips. She pursed her lips thoughtfully as she stared back at her guest, then her teeth broke through her smile at an idea, "Let me show you some more of Dad's old drawings. Maybe it'll help get the inspiration flowing..."

_Maybe he knows who some of those people were..._

Morgan followed Sarah into her parents' room, not really needing to see more of Steve's drawings and unsure why Sarah felt the need to go looking for them. "Whatever you want, I'm really fine with anything."

Sarah pulled open Steve's dresser drawers, then stood and looked around, her mind made up. Zawadi rested on Steve and Kayla's bed, looking up at Sarah with big eyes as she rifled through her father's things, "I know Dad used to draw when he needed to think. He had a book, a big black book..." Sarah looked up, "I think I know where he keeps it."

"Which is..." Morgan trailed off as Sarah darted into her parents' walk-in closet. She looked up at the ring in the ceiling and Morgan followed her gaze, realizing what Sarah was planning, "I, uh, don't think we're gonna get up there."

Morgan didn't realize Sarah had wandered away until she reappeared with her rolling desk chair, "Sure we are. That's what chairs are for. Hold it steady for me please?"

"You sure we should be doing this? We could watch a movie? Or play a game..." Morgan suggested as Sarah heaved herself onto the chair, using her left hand to hold the back while reaching up and grabbing the ring. She pulled on it, but it didn't budge, wedged back into place by her father.

"No. I'm determined. I never get to go up here and they'll never suspect a thing because James isn't home. He's the only one of us who gets into trouble." Sarah grit her teeth and carefully reached up her other hand, looping both hands around the ring and bending her knees so all her weight pulled against the door. She was just heavy enough to dangle from the attic stairs, eventually pulling the door loose and allowing her to pull down the ladder. "See. It's fine. We just have to put it back up when we're done."

Morgan stared at Sarah with wide eyes as the seventeen-year-old climbed the ladder to the attic. Zawadi appeared at the base of the chair and started barking, warning Sarah not to go. Morgan stared at the dog for a moment, then sighed and followed behind carefully, regretting it more and more with every step.

Once in the attic, Sarah looked for her father's sketchpad around all the boxes. Morgan looked around, noting all the cobwebs and dust. Apparently Sarah's dad hadn't been up here in a while. She peeked into the closest box, reaching in slowly to pull out an elegant blue dress.

"Found it!" Sarah lifted a black book up near the window, blowing on it to clean it off. She sat it down on her father's chair and crouched down to flip through it. Morgan carefully tiptoed her way to the window, looking out to see the sun was almost over the horizon. Sarah creased her brows in confusion, "Could you pull the light switch? Over by the door?" Morgan obliged, turning on the light above her to cast an orange glow around the attic.

Morgan watched Sarah's expression morph into utter confusion. Her chest began to rise and fall more rapidly and she let out a heavy cough. Morgan returned to Sarah's side, rubbing her back, "You okay-" Her voice died on her lips when she looked at the sketch Sarah was gazing at.

"I'm not sure." Sarah whispered quietly, closing the book. "It's nothing right? This- this is nothing. Dad's just a fan. Of course he is, I mean, lots of people are." Sarah wheezed a little, coughing again to try and loosen her chest, "Sorry, it's all the dust."

"Maybe we should go back downstairs then?" Morgan motioned toward the stairs, hearing Zawadi continue to bark at them, but Sarah didn't budge. She looked to her right, taking in the closet that didn't quite close all the way. Something jagged shone from the crack and Sarah stood slowly, taking a step toward the object. Morgan saw it too and grabbed Sarah's arm, "Come on, let's go. You said it yourself, we don't want your parents to realize we were up here." Sarah took another tentative step and Morgan mumbled to herself, "I should have gone to the football game."

Sarah reached the closet and looked down through the crack, breathing heavily. She grabbed the door to pull it open, but hesitated. She could leave it be. She could walk away and pretend she never saw anything. Or she could open the door, and understand who she was for the first time in her life.


	85. Chapter 85

"Sarah? Sarah, let's go. This is getting creepy." Morgan pressed, knowing full well what Sarah was about to uncover. She reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a scrunchie, pulling back her long brown hair as she prepared herself to explain what was in that closet. This should have been Steve's job, not Morgan's, but here she was.

Sarah was already there though, at the brink of the unknown. She felt her whole body quake, considering for a brief moment that whatever was on the other side of the closet door wasn't important. But something inside her soul told her it was. She took a deep breath and pulled open the door, revealing the shattered Captain America shield.

Morgan held her breath, waiting for Sarah to question it. Sarah just knelt down though to study the dirty metal disk, a third of it hacked off on the edge. "Is this..." Her breath was shaky as she traced the red stripe with her eyes as she reached out toward the shield.

When her fingers touched the cool vibranium though, she was somewhere else. She stood quickly and turned, seeing a massive spaceship in the sky with a billion faceless soldiers marching toward her. Sarah felt her legs go weak at the sight as she clenched her heart, allowing herself to fall in panic. The sky looked like it was on fire, and she was surrounded by rubble, and not much else. Suddenly her vision turned to the left and she saw him push himself to his feet.

"Dad?" Sarah whimpered, shifting to take one step on her hands and knees toward the beaten soldier. His face was so covered in dirt and grime she could hardly recognize him, but somehow Sarah knew. He gasped for breath, more winded than Sarah had ever seen her father, and stared daggers into the monster in front of him. Sarah followed his gaze to who she assumed was Thanos. It was a front row seat to the most horrifying thing she'd ever seen.

Then she saw her mother.

Kayla pressed a kiss to Steve's shoulder blade and lifted her lips to his ear, and Sarah heard her words like she was in Steve's head, "There will be no orphans today." She shuddered as she watched her mom take a step back, allowing Steve to stand alone before the alien army. He tightened the strap of the shield onto his arm, and she was back in her attic.

She felt like she was hovering in space for a moment, understanding her world fully for the very first time, "My dad was Captain America."

Sarah collapsed onto the ground and Morgan dove after her, "Sarah! What happened?" Morgan asked in terror as she grabbed onto the blonde, but when Sarah looked at her, she was suddenly back at the cabin.

She looked around, seeing everyone from her vision the day before, but this time, the dock was empty. Sarah looked up at the sound of the door opening, seeing Pepper and Morgan leading the processional, Pepper holding a wreath in one hand and Morgan's small hand in the other. Sarah tilted her head as she watched them move, seeing the large man with the mustache- Happy- she remembered Happy. And then she saw her dad walking behind and reached out to touch him, but he moved through her, nothing but a memory. She saw him look up and offer a soft smile, and Sarah turned, seeing Kayla at the edge of the line with Bucky. Kayla waved at Steve, then ducked her head against her infant son so her husband wouldn't see her cry.

"Huh. This is unexpected." Sarah turned to the voice, seeing the slim brunette staring at her, not through her like everyone else. Before Sarah could question it, she was back in her attic in Morgan's arms.

"I- that- what... you- I-" Sarah stammered as she raked her fingers through her long blonde hair. She looked at Morgan, who was trying to smile bravely, but Sarah was way beyond being treated like a child. "I was back at the cabin. I saw what I saw at your mom's funeral, it was another funeral. You were there, and your mom was there, and my parents were there with James. What did I see?"

"You're seeing things?" Morgan asked, reeling from this information almost as much as Sarah was. "I think we should take you to the hospital, something's wrong-"

"No." Sarah said defiantly, looking over her shoulder at the shield again, "No, I want to understand this." She reached out and touched it again, with her hand fully extended onto the white star. Sarah put her hand up over her eyes as there was a bright flash, and suddenly it vanished and heard a slight sizzling beneath her feet. She looked down to see a glowing blue cube burn through the floor below and fall into the sky.

The sky. She looked up, she was on a plane. Captain America bent down and scooped up his shield from the ground near her, looking right at her, but he couldn't see her. Sarah tilted her head curiously at her father. He looked so young. She suddenly realized she'd never seen any photos of him as a child, or even as a young adult. Now she knew why.

He quickly sat down the shield to the right of the pilot's chair and pulled off his cowl, offering Sarah her first really good look at her young father. She wandered around to the left of the console, watching as he situated himself, looking at the gauges. He looked ahead, and Sarah saw the hope and determination leave his blue eyes, replaced with sad resignation. Sarah's lip quivered as she took a step forward, reaching out for her dad despite knowing she wasn't really there.

"Come in, this is Captain Rogers, do you read me?" He called loudly, trying to be heard over the roar of the air. The plane had a massive hole in the windshield, and Steve didn't seem to know how to fix the situation. Sarah was so fixated on him that she vaguely heard the British voice on the other end of the radio. "Peggy! Schmidt's dead!" She heard the woman ask about the plane and her dad blew out a huff of air as he tried to figure out the controls. "That's a little bit tougher to explain."

Realization hit Sarah like a ton of bricks, all her history lessons flooding back to her as she grabbed onto her head in panic, "No. No no no. I can't be here. I can't watch this." Sarah crouched down, willing herself back to her attic. She closed her eyes and covered her face, praying that the next thing she heard was Morgan's voice.

"I gotta put her in the water."

Sarah felt her heart shatter as she looked up to see him shove the controls forward, talking to whoever this Peggy was on the other end of the radio. She'd never seen her dad so scared. Sarah felt a tear slide down her cheek as she braced herself, unsure of what would happen to her when history came to life.

"We'll have the band play something slow, I'd hate to step on your-"

The impact knocked Sarah back as the plane was plunged into freezing cold. Sarah crushed her eyes closed, but after a moment, everything was warm. She opened her eyes to see herself back to reality, but still far from home. Sarah was in an office building, and there were aircraft carriers falling from the sky outside the floor to ceiling windows.

"You know you can't win against me in a fair fight." Sarah's back stiffened at her dad's voice, turning to see Steve facing off against a scruffy, dark haired man. Off to the side was a third man, and Sarah squinted her eyes, remembering him from the funeral. The vision, not the real one. Sarah was beginning to struggle between what was real and what wasn't anymore.

The dark man raised a gun toward Steve, "Who said anything about a fair fight?"

"No!"

The gun didn't make a noise, but Sarah's mom still looked stunned as she held onto the gun, the barrel pressed against her chest. The man growled out, "That wasn't meant for you."

But Kayla smiled a little, despite the clear pain she was feeling, "I know." Sarah stumbled back a step as her father pummeled the man into the ground, not relenting until the third man called his name.

Sarah crossed to her mother, seeing Kayla grow weaker as she struggled to breathe. She was becoming more and more frail, and unlike her father diving into the arctic, Sarah didn't know how this nightmare would end.

"It was the antidote. For you." Kayla struggled out, loosing the ability to move. "Damn this stuff works fast. It degenerates muscle mass- which is very painful." Sarah looked from her mother to her father, then pressed both hands to her head in shock. In U.S. History they learned about the fall of SHIELD after Captain America revealed they'd been infiltrated by Hydra. The Triskelion fell and killed the President's daughter. Her name was Kayla.

"Kayla Ellis? My _mom_ is Kayla Ellis... but she died..." Sarah muttered to herself, beginning to drift away from the vision. She clenched her fist and closed her eyes, willing herself back to her home.

_I can control it. I can control this._

Before she left though, she heard her father crying, "I love you- I love you so much, don't-"

"I love you too, Steve-"

The breath was ripped from Sarah's throat as she sat up. She was back in her attic with Morgan, who was staring down at her with wide eyes, holding her phone in her hand. "Hey Dad, she's awake again. What should I do?"

"I'd suggest not letting her touch anything else." Tony's voice said over the speakerphone. Morgan nodded slowly, never taking her eyes off of the mystical blonde.

Sarah reached out and carefully pat Morgan's arm, bracing herself to be flown somewhere else, but she didn't. "I have _no_ idea what just happened. But I have a lot of questions, and I think I need answers. Like, yesterday."

Morgan swallowed and leaned her face toward her phone, "Dad, I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow." She hung up before he could respond and Sarah sized up her friend curiously.

"You knew didn't you?"

Morgan took a deep breath, leaning against the closet door that should have never been opened, "Yeah. My dad was very honest with me when I got older. About everything. Including how he died and your mom saved his life with her variation of the super soldier serum that created Captain America." She finished her explanation quickly, pulling her lips into a tight line as she waited for Sarah to respond.

"And your dad is..." Sarah asked, suddenly realizing everyone in her life was significantly more important than she'd given them credit for. She sat up straighter and her jaw fell, "Tony Stark. Your dad is Tony Stark... you're Morgan Stark. Fuck, I'm such an idiot!"

"It's okay! It's okay!" Morgan exclaimed, grabbing Sarah's upper arms as she raked her hands through her hair anxiously, "We tried _really_ hard to make sure you guys didn't find out. Like, really hard. Why would you think that your uncle is Iron Man? I mean... yeah, you guys were kind of stupid for not figuring this out. There are trading cards with your dad's face on them."

The blonde rubbed her face, trying to accept the new information she was receiving, "Okay... So that funeral I saw... that was your dad's?"

"Yeah." Morgan answered.

"And my mom... my mom is Kayla Ellis, right? The President's Daughter who faked her own death, and then was sentenced to death after the return of the fallen?" Sarah pried and Morgan nodded. Sarah broke into a grin, "And my dad- he's Captain America. Like, the original Captain America. My dad was born in the forties."

"I mean, I'm pretty sure if he fought in World War II he was born before the forties." Morgan whispered rapidly, still staring at Sarah with wide eyes, "I'm freaking out. Are you not freaking out? Like, I am freaking out more than you." Morgan began to hyperventilate a little, breathing through her lips to calm down from the anxiety attack. "You kept zoning out and coming back to and it was freaky."

"How did my mom survive execution? If she's really Kayla Ellis she should be dead." Sarah asked and Morgan continued breathing deeply.

"Group effort. My dad, your dad, and your Uncle Bucky worked together to fake your mom's death so they could raise you and your brother and give you a normal life."

Sarah looked to the closet, considering pressing her luck with whatever other treasures lied with in, but Morgan's voice cut her off, "Don't even think about it."

"I have to talk to my parents. I have to understand why this is happening to me." Sarah breathed out, finally pushing herself to her feet. She tentatively reached down and offered Morgan her hand, and the brunette took it, but Sarah wasn't really strong enough to help her up, so she pushed herself to her feet. Sarah swallowed hard, reeling from the out of body experience she'd just had, "Why is this happening to me?"


	86. Chapter 86

Sarah scrambled down the stairs from the attic with Morgan hot on her tail. When she reached the bottom, she gently herded Zawadi away so Morgan could put the ladder back up. As Morgan climbed the chair to put the ladder back into place, Sarah knelt down and rubbed her dog's ears fondly, "Shhh, it's okay. We're back."

Sarah shivered, feeling a brisk breeze on her back, and looked up to find herself outside. She studied her surroundings, realizing she was at the National Mall. "What the-"

"On your left."

Sarah stood up as a man went sprinting by her. Zawadi, still not fully grown, barked loudly and ripped himself away from his owner's hands, taking off after the runner with his leash trailing behind him. Sarah turned to see her mother, young and honey blonde, take off running after the puppy and the man he chased. Sarah watched as her dad slowed to a stop, turning to approach the canine cautiously before scooping up the leash.

"Miss Ellis!" Steve yelped in the distance, and Kayla replied with an equally terrified, "Ste-Captain Rogers!"

Sarah clenched her fist, focusing on the memory and imagining herself getting closer. She reappeared beside her parents, watching in wonder as their conversation became more heated after casual pleasantries. Kayla tried to leave, but Zawadi laid at Steve's feet, causing her to grow more agitated as her daughter watched anxiously, waiting to see how the exchange would end. Sarah knew how her parents worked- they'd whisper and glare and make up when the bedroom door closed at night. This was different though. Sarah grinned to herself as Kayla yelled back at the soldier, "They aren't together yet," Sarah inhaled sharply as Steve softened and took a step closer to his future wife.

"Why me? Why would you want me? I'm not the type of man you want... I can't give you what you want." Steve's voice was quiet, but intense as he looked down at the thin blonde with a deep frown. His devastation broke his daughter's heart, but she saw her mother's hungry eyes scan over Steve's face. Sarah held her breath, knowing exactly what was about to happen. Even Zawadi looked up from his place on the concrete, watching as his owner and this stranger were practically touching noses.

"Steve, all I want is you."

It was Steve Rogers who grabbed the woman and pulled her to his lips, kissing her desperately like he'd never get to again. Kayla responded by grabbing his cheeks and holding him close to her so the moment could last forever. But it didn't. Steve pulled away quickly and took off, leaving Kayla to watch him go, touching her lips softly. Zawadi sat up and looked at his owner expectantly, as if waiting for her to chase after the man, but she just watched him in a love struck daze, "Steve..."

It was then Sarah realized it was the first time. They didn't know they'd end up together, and they didn't know what they'd become. Sarah looked down at her hand and snapped her fingers, bringing her back to reality.

"So, how was that? Did you get a good look into the canine psyche?" Morgan asked dryly as she waited patiently for Sarah to stand up.

Sarah smiled to herself, "Yeah, something like that."

"We have to go Sarah. Do you think you can control this?" Morgan said as she lead Sarah down the stairs and grabbed her purse, pulling out keys to her Corvette, "I can drive."

"Yes. I've got this. It's getting better, easier... whatever it is." Sarah mumbled as she grabbed a light jacket from the hall closet, "I'll give you directions, it's-" Sarah looked at her watch, "it should be halftime, we have about an hour before it's over. I want to see my parents now, they are the only people who know why this is happening."

Morgan clicked her fob and her hot rod red convertible roared to life as she flung open the door. Sarah hopped in beside her and pulled her seat belt on, clicking it moments before the car squealed into reverse and sped off down the road toward the football field.

"So I'm going out on a limb and guessing your brother doesn't know either?" Morgan questioned as the wind whipped her ponytail behind her. She tapped away on the screen, pulling up a police radar scanner as she drove, "Doesn't he think it's odd that he's stronger and faster than everybody else?"

"Not really, he's not stronger or faster than Mom and Dad." Sarah grumbled, pushing back her hair as it flew across her face, "He just thinks I'm really weak."

"You're like, a regular person. He thinks you're the exception, but you're the rule..." Morgan babbled on, slowing down as her radar began to beep, "So he's been playing football for a while? I'm surprised your parents let him do that."

"He doesn't think he's any different than anyone else." Sarah wondered if her brother realized he was exerting less effort than everybody else, or if he thought he had reached peak human ability on his own. "He's a great player. He plays football and basketball. No track and field or baseball though. Dad convinced him not to."

"Probably because he knew having a super soldier swinging a metal bat would be lethal." Morgan mumbled as she approached the small town football field in the local park, "Hold on!"

Morgan cranked the wheel and spun the car around the corner and into a parking spot in the grass. Sarah grabbed the car's frame and center console, clinging to life as Morgan slammed the car to a stop. She quickly turned off the engine and hopped over the door as Sarah scrambled out to follow her, "What's the plan?"

"Uh, find your parents. Tell them you keep falling into these weird vision trances." Morgan stated matter-of-factly. "No offense, but I don't want to be responsible for when you start zoning out in the street and get hit by a bus."

"Thanks. I appreciate that." Sarah snorted as she struggled to match the brunette's pace. "The bleachers on the north side are our home section. Mom and Dad will be over there, we just have to go around the side." Sarah motioned around the field and Morgan tapped away on a thick band wrapped around her right wrist. "What's that?"

"Oh, nothing. Just can never be too prepared. Keeping all the systems in the car active." Morgan fibbed before pulling the thin sleeve of her yellow blouse back down. She looked over all the boys on the field, but her smile widened when her gaze landed on the bench. Sarah watched her, crossing her arms knowingly. Morgan noticed Sarah's expression and shook it off, "I'm sorry, I'm excited to see him. I have, like, five friends, and only two of them are remotely close to my age. Hint: it's you two."

"I didn't say anything." Sarah retorted, but Morgan was already walking toward the bleachers as the third quarter came to a close.

* * *

"Twelve minutes left and we're getting our butts handed to us. Come on, you guys can do better than this!" Coach told the team as they huddled up. He looked at the score, then back to the boys, "We're gonna need two touchdowns to turn this around. We're down two players with Reynolds and Carter benched, I'm gonna need you guys to step it up. Let's go team!" They all yelled as they ran back to the field, James and Chad sidelined as the crowd behind them cheered.

"This is your fault, Carter. If you hadn't been such an asshole we'd both be on the field right now. When we lose Homecoming, this is on you." Chad sneered but James just chewed the inside of his cheek as he watched the field.

Something yellow in the distance caught his attention, and James lifted his head to get a better look. When he realized who was there, he swallowed, trying to push down the blush that fought its way into his cheeks. He began to tap his foot restlessly as he watched her approach, stopping only when she looked right at him and offered a slight wave. He waved back, straightening up on the bench as the opposing team made it to the ten yard line.

The coach cursed under his breath, looking up at the timer to see nine minutes left on the clock. "Carter, you're up. Defense."

"But I'm the quarterback!" James yelped loudly as he jumped to his feet.

"You wanna play or not? Don't let him through that line!" The coach called as James beamed, pulling on his helmet before taking to the field. The crowd behind him went wild at his appearance, and Kayla grabbed Steve's right arm as she bounced up and down on her heels.

"They're letting him play!" Steve smacked Bucky's chest and pointed at his son as Bucky nodded, clearly able to see what was happening as the crowd around them started chanting.

"Carter! Carter! Carter!"

James settled into place on the line, subbing in for Hunter, who waved his fist triumphantly at his friend's arrival. James shoved his mouth guard in and stared down the opposing player, shifting his feet in anticipation. The call was made and the ball was thrown, passed in the opposite direction that James was in. The other team had caught the crowd's reaction to the new player, and purposely put him in the dark. While they were all focused on keeping the ball away from James, Brent was able to intercept the football and take it running in the opposite direction, causing an uproar in the stands.

Steve cheered loudly as James cut around the other side, easily catching the ball Brent threw and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown. Kayla jumped up and down proudly, ignoring the way the bleachers wobbled under her movement. Bucky grinned as he held Tessa tightly to his left, helping her keep her balance on the bleacher seat so she could actually see the game.

"Carter! Carter! Carter!"

Kayla shifted up on her tiptoes to yell in Steve's ear, "I'm so glad they let him play! They might actually win!" She pulled her son's Letterman jacket around her shoulders as the wind picked up a little, and Steve pulled her close to his side to keep her warm.

"Look! Up there!" Sarah pointed into the stands where her parents stood with Bucky and Tessa. "Let's go."

Morgan looked where Sarah had pointed, a grin breaking across her face, "Is your mom wearing James's jacket?" She laughed as she carefully followed Sarah through the crowd.

Sarah excused herself as she tried to move through the bleachers to get to the stairs, careful not to touch anyone. "Yeah. He says she's his good luck charm. He has too many girlfriends to give it to just one." Morgan shot Sarah a questioning look and Sarah just shrugged, "He's popular. Look at him!" Sarah gestured to the field where James lifted his head to look toward the crowd as they lined up, causing everyone to cheer.

"I can see that." Morgan answered coolly, "It's cute, though. Aunt Kayla looks really happy."

"She won't be happy when she finds out she has two superhuman children." Sarah mumbled, furrowing her brows as the crowd continued to scream, "We aren't getting through this until the game ends."

"Then let's see how it ends." Morgan suggested as she turned to face the field, leaning against the rail as Sarah came to join her. Morgan kicked her foot against the metal, glancing around casually until her gaze landed on a roped off section of bleachers where several nicely dressed people sat with clipboards. She nodded toward them, "Who are they?"

Sarah looked over to see what Morgan was referring to, "College scouts."

Morgan mulled this over, narrowing her eyes and biting her bottom lip, "Alright."

James shifted his weight as he got into position, focusing in on the task ahead. Get the ball through the goal. Win the game. Impress the girl.

_Impress the girl. _

James looked toward the bleachers again, trying to find that hint of yellow in the crowd. He saw Morgan leaning against the railing, watching him intently. Even from a distance, he could see her biting her lip, waiting for something to happen. James felt his stomach clench as he turned back to the player in front of him, suddenly unable to focus on the game. He breathed heavily, not wanting to screw this up. Everyone was counting on him. All his classmates, his teammates, and even his family were counting on him to bring home a win. But she came all this way for him. He asked her to come and she came and now she was there and she was watching and he couldn't screw this up and-

The whistle blew and the play began, catching James off guard. The other team had the ball and there wasn't a lot of time left. The guy in front of him had the ball and was charging toward the goal. James had only one job: stop him from getting over the line.

_Right. Football. Stop the football. I've done this a thousand times before._

James sprinted to the side as the ball was hiked to the opposing quarterback, keeping an eye on its path as the other team moved it toward the goal. His white shoes pounded into the turf as he pushed himself harder, trying to get into position to stop the play. Finally, James saw an opening as the ball was passed to one of their strongest players. Nobody else from his side would take the guy down, especially with Chad out for the count. James picked up speed to cut him off, eventually reaching him and charging into him at full speed.

The guy took the brutal impact and flew back fifteen feet, landing on his back as the ball rolled to the side. James slid to a stop, feeling the grass rip up beneath his feet as the crowed gasped. Then everything went quiet. Nobody made a sound as they waited with bated breath to find out if the kid was okay.

James looked at the guy he'd taken down, not even really meaning to tackle him, just to throw him off balance. But he'd miscalculated. He'd been distracted. He couldn't take his eyes off the opposing player as his coach ran to the field and knelt down to check on the boy. The coach looked up in panic and yelled, "We need a medic here now! He's not breathing!" James took off his helmet and held it by the chinstraps as he approached slowly. The coach looked up at him and pointed accusingly, "Not another step."

"James." He looked over to see his own coach walking towards him nervously, "Give them some space." James looked past his coach to his teammates, some of who had their own helmets off to get a better view of what was happening. He looked to the stands at the people, seeing Morgan's horror-struck face among the crowd.

_What have I done?_


	87. Chapter 87

Steve grabbed Kayla's waist to hold her back as James stood on the field. Everyone around him was giving him space, nobody daring to go closer as he panted. Kayla grabbed her mouth to keep from crying out, James's jacket sliding down her forearms to her elbows. She was shaking in terror as everybody stared at her baby, judging him for something he didn't even realize he had the power to do.

"Kayla." Steve whispered, gripping her hips tightly to pull her back against his chest, "Kay, we gotta go."

She turned to look at her husband incredulously, "He's our son-"

"And you know better than anyone the only way to protect him is from the outside. If people find out who he is- they'll take him." Steve murmured as he pressed his cheek against hers, holding her stomach from behind. "If we leave now, we give him a chance to get out of this. Right?" He looked to his left to meet Bucky's questioning gaze. Bucky turned to Tessa and she nodded quickly.

"Go. We'll do our best."

Kayla shook as she tightened the jacket around herself, "That's not good enough." She snarled under her breath as the ambulance sirens blared closer. She turned to her best friend with tears in her eyes, "Bring my son home."

Tessa grabbed Bucky's metal arm, clenching it tightly under his leather jacket as Steve shuffled Kayla through the murmuring crowd, everyone growing more anxious by the second at the events unfolding. Morgan noticed Steve and Kayla pushing through the crowd and raised her hand to get their attention. Kayla noticed the girl and hesitated, but Steve tugged on her arm, pulling her around the corner and out of sight.

"What's going to happen to him?" Sarah whispered as she clenched the railing until her knuckles turned white. She couldn't take her eyes off her brother as he stood shaking on the field. He dropped his helmet and took a step back when the paramedics arrived. His uniform was practically pristine, having spent most of the game sitting out. He was brought in at the last minute, and suddenly looked very suspicious.

One of the paramedics took the boy's pulse, then motioned for the stretcher, "He's alive, but he may be paralyzed. What happened?"

"He was launched across the field by _him_!" One of the players yelled as he pointed at James, causing the blonde to back up even more away from the situation. His coach finally approached him and put his hands on his shoulders.

"I think we should get you out of here-"

James grabbed his coach's hand on his shoulder and felt the man flinch at his touch. He began to breath heavily, looking around as everyone watched him in fear, "I- I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to take him down that hard. I'm sorry- I-"

"Hey, it's okay, accidents happen. You didn't mean to hurt anybody." Coach comforted James as he led him toward the bench where the rest of his team waited. When he arrived though, they stared at him with wide eyes, taking a step back to keep their distance.

James looked to Hunter and Brent, taking a step towards his friends, but Brent put his hands up as Hunter stepped back. "Dude... _we_ can't do that. Nobody can do that."

"I can't even do that, it was just, a perfect accident. Maybe he was tripping, I- I don't know-" James stammered, but his friends stayed away, watching James like he was a tiger they'd thought was a house cat. James raked his fingers through his sweaty hair as he looked back, trying to find his family in the crowd, "I don't know what happened-" He looked to where Morgan and Sarah were standing, watching him worriedly. His jaw quivered when he looked into his sister's eyes, "I didn't mean to hurt anybody."

"We know James, it was an accident. You're gonna be just fine..." The coach trailed off before looked to the opposite sideline as they took the injured player away. He sighed in defeat when he noticed the security guards approaching from the side of the grandstands, "You're eighteen, aren't you?"

James looked up at his coach in terror, his jaw quivering as his green eyes looked for any sign of teasing, but found none. "You can't be serious?"

The coach pulled James by the arm, gently tugging the boy away from the other players, "If he dies, this could turn into something serious James- accidental manslaughter isn't out of the question. What you did was far outside the rules of fair play."

"I didn't realize I could _do_ that!" James howled back, pulling away from his coach and wrapping his arms around his stomach nervously, "I didn't do anything wrong, I played like I always play-"

Bucky watched from the bleachers as James cowered off to the side, ostracized by his team and his once loyal band of followers. Ten minutes ago the stands shook with cheers of his name, but now James was something totally different. Bucky knew the feeling. A war hero one moment, a feared monster the next. Tessa held him tightly, watching James with a tight lip as she waited for them to let him go so they could take him home. Bucky didn't take his eyes off the boy as he said huskily, "They're here. It's up to you to get him out of here."

"Alright everybody, game's over, time to head home!" The police officer ordered the crowd over a bullhorn as two other officers motioned for everyone to leave. A female officer directing traffic came up to Morgan and Sarah, asking them nicely to leave.

Sarah shook her head back and forth fearfully and the cop placed a hand on her hip until Morgan intervened, "He's her brother. We aren't leaving until he does." The officer studied Morgan through narrowed eyes, pulling her radio from her belt and quietly asking when the players would be released.

She listened to her earpiece, holding her fingers over it to shield the noise from the impatient women. "Copy that," the officer studied Sarah for a moment, "I'm going to need to ask you to leave. All spectators have to leave before we can release the players."

"Our parents already left, who is supposed to make sure he's okay?" Sarah snarled and Morgan held her back easily, glaring back at the officer as Sarah pulled against her, "It was an accident, I need to make sure James is okay."

"He'll be fine, but you two need to leave. Now. Or you'll leave in the squad car." The woman barked back and Sarah finally allowed Morgan to pull her back a step, practically growling as she moved.

"Let's go home Sarah. We need to talk to your parents about what happened with you." Morgan reminded, but Sarah looked over her shoulder at the field one more time as the stands emptied slowly.

"I think I'm more worried about my brother at the moment." Morgan clicked her key fob to bring her car to life, then pulled up her sleeve to tap away on her wristband. "What are you doing now?" Sarah asked and Morgan shushed her, motioning with her head toward her car. She hit a button and the top slipped up as the two girls slid into their seats.

Morgan backed the car out of the parking spot and started driving out of the park, but she quickly jerked the wheel to the right and pulled off onto a small dirt road into the trees. She turned off the lights and the ignition, then pulled a small disk out of her band. She sat the band on the dashboard and a hologram of the football field appeared. "Holographic drone technology with reflective paneling. Makes the thing invisible, but we can watch what happens with your brother."

"And my parents?" Sarah asked as Morgan continued to tap on her band, bringing the audio to life.

"One thing at a time. That lady there- the scout- she's not here to give out scholarships." Morgan explained, using her fingers to turn the camera toward a dark haired woman in a black jacket approaching the field. Sarah looked to Morgan expectantly, but the brunette just offered a grim expression in return. "She's with SHIELD."

Back on the field, James was sitting alone on the bench as the field cleared. The two teams were kept separate, but he was kept away from everyone, out of precaution at the request of his teammates. The only person who dared to approach the boy was his coach, who stood ten feet away with his mouth in his hands as he stared at his star player.

"I'm scared." James admitted as he hung his head, staring at the grass as he tried to keep his breath steady.

"I know. I'm scared for you." His coach replied, but James didn't look up until two cops arrived at his feet. When he finally looked around, he saw his teammates were gone. He was the only one left.

He looked up to meet their eyes, wishing his mother was there to get him out of trouble. "I didn't mean to hurt anybody. It was an accident, I swear-"

"We clocked you at thirty-two miles per hour when you hit that kid. The fastest recorded speed in human history is twenty-seven miles per hour." James looked up past the officers to see a woman in her early sixties approaching with two government agents on either side. She stopped in front of James, studying him curiously, "Unless you've got something that makes you faster than the average man?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" James snarled up at the lady. He ground his cleats into the grass, feeling the earth peel beneath the pressure to ground himself. "Are you insinuating that I'm on drugs? How the hell did you clock my speed anyway?"

"We have our ways. There's no doubt that you're on something. Because the statistics don't lie." The woman handed James her clipboard and he tentatively grabbed it. He studied the numbers, grinding his teeth as he took in the information he'd been given. He looked up at the woman defiantly as he handed her the clipboard.

"I'm not on drugs. I swear on my life. This is just good old fashioned hard work." James gestured to himself and the woman grinned, leaning over to whisper something to the person next to her. James stood up and stretched out his arms, his muscles pushing against the shoulder pads, "Listen, I gotta call my parents, I think my dad should come down here and talk to you-"

"Yes. Great idea. Why don't you give your dad a call. I'd love to talk to him about your steroid problem." The woman taunted with a grin and James took the bait, striding towards her a step.

"I'm not on drugs! I already told you that!" James huffed, starting to wonder if these were the people his parents were hiding from. They seemed to stare at him, trying to find something in him. Perhaps they thought he looked like his father. He raised head bravely, determined to solve the problem alone. To protect his family. "Listen, I promise you, I played clean. I feel terrible about what happened-"

"So you wouldn't be opposed to us proving it?"

James froze at her question, looking over to his coach for answers, but the older man just shook his head. James wasn't getting any help from him. He grunted as he heaved off his pads, discarding them on the ground and shaking his shoulders to loosen them up. He considered saying no, but that would make him seem even more suspicious. He placed his hands on his hips confidently, "I have nothing to hide."

"No, no no no! He's not going anywhere with _you_." Tessa growled as she placed herself between James and the agent. The older woman looked down at Tessa curiously, but the feisty brunette just pointed at James over her shoulder with her thumb. "He's coming with me."

"And who are you exactly?" The woman was unimpressed by Tessa's determination. One of the agents at her side reached out to restrain Tessa, but his leader stopped him.

"Hi. I'm Tessa. I'm his aunt, and I'm taking him home now." Tessa cooed as she reached back and put one hand on James's stomach to push him back a step. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Maria Hill. I'm the Director of SHIELD." Maria answered easily and Tessa's eyes widened as she backed into James, "And your nephew says he has nothing to hide. We monitor potential threats, and he is willing to prove he isn't one. Unless you know something we should?"

Tessa swallowed, looking to her side for some clue as to what to say or do next, "He's just a kid. He's not going to admit to being on steroids."

"Aunt Tess!" James hissed, gently pulling her to his side so he could address Maria Hill again, "I'm not taking any drugs, I promise! I'll prove it!"

"James, come on, just admit it... there's no way you could be that strong without something helping you." Tessa growled through clenched teeth, but James didn't pick up the hint. She deflated a little and added, "Listen, I won't tell your parents. You can tell me the truth." Maria's gaze stayed on Tessa for a few moments as she tried to get James to confess, eyes lingering on her left hand for a second.

"You're married." It was a statement, not a question. Tessa stayed tight lipped. Maria nodded in understanding, "I see. So you're protecting him too, right? Interesting. Seems like your family has a lot of secrets, James Carter."

"I'm not hiding anything! Take me in. Run your tests and it'll prove I'm not taking any steroids. Get what you need and let me go home." James answered, crossing his arms boldly. He looked up when he felt his hair begin to blow and a jet plane began to land on the football field. He gulped, looking to this Director person nervously, "We aren't going to the hospital to run tests are we? Maybe I _should_ call my parents-"

Maria smiled sadly, "Kid, I have a feeling your parents aren't coming. I don't think you even know who you are." The back door to the quinjet opened and the two agents each took one of James's arms and ushered him into the jet. He looked over his shoulder at Tessa, but didn't resist, allowing the agents to take him for testing.

"Wait! You can't do this, he's just a teenager! This is kidnapping-" Tess yelled as she sprinted toward Maria. The Director of SHIELD turned quickly to face down the smaller woman and Tessa quivered in her sights. "Let him _go_."

Maria just stared at Tess blankly for a moment before circling back toward the jet, calling over her shoulder, "If you want him back, your husband knows where to find him, Mrs. Barnes."


	88. Chapter 88

**Author's Notes: **

**zikashigaku- Thank you so much for all the reviews! They make my heart so happy, and I'm sorry I haven't been replying! I've been the worst and have been posting old chapters (that I forgot about facepalm) but things are ramping up now! A few little side detours for funsies coming up, but then we're off to the climax of the whole story!**

**Thank you to everyone who's read, followed, and commented on this story. Coming to the home stretch hurts my heart but all good things must come to an end! **

"James!" Kayla screeched as she dove toward the edge of the bleachers to reach her son when the SHIELD agents took hold of him. Steve quickly grabbed her and placed his large hand over her mouth, shushing her as he held her still with his other arm around her abdomen. They hid behind the bleachers, watching the exchange in terror as their son was interrogated by SHIELD. Alone.

"Let them take him. Let him go, Kay. We'll get him back." Steve promised, keeping his blue eyes locked on the jet as Maria Hill stared down Tessa. "I swear on my life, I'll get our son back."

Steve loosened his grip a little when something wet hit his hand, looking down to see tears streaming freely from his wife's green eyes. He kept his hand over her mouth as she wept, holding her tightly against his chest as he rested his chin on her shoulder. Bucky glowered at the Director of SHIELD, his jaw set tight as he watched the woman address Tessa. "She knows Tessa is my wife. Figures. Should have assumed SHIELD was still keeping tabs on me." Bucky turned to Steve and Kayla, keeping his deep voice low, "I can call in a favor. We still have an inside man."

"They know whose kid he is. He looks just like me, Buck." Steve said as the jet took off into the sky. He sighed, finally releasing his wife. Kayla fell to the ground, wailing as she wrapped her son's jacket tighter around her. "It's gotta be me."

"This doesn't have to be a big production. I'll call Sam, he can be at the Helicarrier before I am." Bucky scolded, but Steve's mind was already in motion. Bucky punched Steve in the bicep, getting his best friend's attention, "Steve, he's going to be okay. He leveled that guy. He's dangerous."

"You shut your mouth." Kayla snarled as she leaned back and used her palms to bounce back onto her feet. She filled her chest with a heavy breath, not taking her eyes off of Barnes. "He's our son."

"Yeah, have you seen his father?" Bucky pointed to Steve as Tessa peeked around the corner to find them. "Your husband is dangerous. I'm dangerous. And you- you might be the most dangerous of us all."

Kayla narrowed her eyes, but Steve put one hand up to stop his wife from mutilating his friend, "Buck, I have to go. I get it, he messed up, but it's our fault. I should have told him the truth. I don't want him to learn who his father was from SHIELD. I want him to hear it from me."

"I'm sorry, Kay." Tessa grabbed Kayla's arm, but the superhuman woman just stared up at her husband and Bucky with pleading eyes.

"Bring him home." Kayla swallowed down the lump in her throat, her voice cracking, "Tell him I'm so sorry- and that I love him so much."

Steve pulled his wife into his arms and rubbed her lovingly as he pressed his lips into her hair. "I will, Kay. Go make sure Sarah's okay. I'll have him home by morning." Kayla's lower lip quivered as she looked up and nodded. Steve reached down and quickly pressed a kiss to her lips, knowing not to say goodbye.

He sighed at Bucky, and the Winter Soldier hoisted up Tessa by the ass and kissed her passionately before setting her down gently. "See you in the morning, Doll."

"I love you." Tessa called as she held her hands to her chest.

Bucky turned, walking backwards alongside Steve to blow her a kiss.

"Alright, Juliet, you coming home with me?" Kayla snipped as she started walking toward the parking lot, empty except for a few cars and Bucky's motorcycle. She tilted her head to the side as Steve turned to her. She groaned and dug through her purse to find the van keys, tossing them to Steve so they could take the van. Kayla and Tessa watched the men zoom away, not saying a word until the sound of wheels against dirt faded away and the crickets took over with their symphony.

"You want me to drive the bike?" Tessa asked meekly, knowing Kayla was a loose cannon when everything was good, but she was a time bomb when things were bad.

Kayla looked at Bucky's motorcycle for a second, "No. I'll drive. Get on." Kayla easily swung her leg over the bike and held it in place as Tessa secured her helmet. She held out Bucky's for Kayla, but the woman just snorted and pulled up the kick stand with the back of her foot before speeding off at full speed, almost loosing Tessa in the process.

As they flew out of the park, they unknowingly passed a car sitting off the side of the road in the trees, but the women in the car noticed them.

"That's my mom." Sarah said quietly as Morgan continued studying the footage from her drone on the dashboard. She bit her lip in thought as she moved the angle, trying to get a closer view of the coordinates on the quinjet's dashboard. "Morgan, are you listening, Mom's heading home!"

"Yeah, gimme a minute. I'm trying to figure out where they're taking your brother." Morgan squinted, trying to get the video to focus, "Come on... there it is." She put her fingers to the hologram, and zoomed in, pulling the coordinates and saving them to a file. "Alright, heading home?"

"Yeah, preferably before Mom and Aunt Tessa get there." Sarah grumbled as she looked over her shoulder at the silent park behind her. "Mom's gonna lose her shit."

"Hang on!" Morgan pulled the gear shift into reverse and the wheels squealed loudly as she slammed her foot into the gas pedal. Sarah gripped the side of the car as Morgan swirled the car around, then shot the shifter into drive to try and beat Kayla home.

"Morgan, what am I going to tell my mom? My brother just got arrested? Kidnapped? Either way, she's not going to be happy... maybe I shouldn't bring up the attic incident." Sarah suggested, studying the driver to gauge her reaction. Morgan just pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, a clear sign she was annoyed by the idea. "I'm scared."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are scared. Your brother is probably scared, your parents are sure as hell scared, but you can't keep this from them. All hell is breaking loose, you might as well get it all out there." Morgan slammed on the break, skidding to a stop at a red light. "Damn it!"

"What are they gonna do to James? Who are those people?" Sarah asked as the light turned green and Morgan floored it again, speeding through the intersection far too fast.

"They'll run tests. Probably draw blood first, then, when they realize what he is, they'll question him. Maybe more." Morgan's heart beat louder than the engine, the pounding in her ears only subsiding when the sound of sirens alerted her to trouble. Morgan and Sarah looked in the rear view mirror in unison, Morgan quickly slowing down as the cop pursued her, "Shit!" Morgan pulled over, reaching into her purse to pull out her license, already knowing what was about to happen.

The police officer exited the squad car and walked over to the girls, pulling out her notepad as she approached. When the officer got to Morgan's window, she chuckled a bit and shook her head, "You two again." Morgan cringed as she looked up to see the same police officer they'd encountered at the game staring down at her expectantly.

"Yeah, uh, family emergency. Her brother," Morgan motioned to Sarah, who just waved meekly, "was the one who took out that other guy, and now he's in trouble and we have to get home."

"You were going seventy in a thirty-five." The cop deadpanned and Morgan opened her mouth to argue, but had no excuse. She closed her mouth quickly and handed over her license and registration, waiting to hear what would happen next. The cop started to walk away with her information, and Sarah unbuckled her seat belt and knelt on the seat, focusing her gaze on the police officer.

"What are you doing?" Morgan droned, leaning back against the headrest and looking over to Sarah. Sarah narrowed her eyes, carefully lifting her hand and pulling it toward her slowly. Morgan watched Sarah's eyes glow gold for a moment, which only terrified her more, "Sarah?"

Sarah quickly sat back down and buckled back up, looking to Morgan nervously before nodding back toward the driver's window. Morgan turned to see the officer outside her window, handing back her license and paperwork, "Listen, I get it. It's a hard day. I'm gonna let you off with a warning this time, but please, slow down."

"Yes ma'am!" Morgan squeaked, handing over her things to Sarah slowly when the officer started walking away. She looked to Sarah, who looked at her hands in wonder, "You did that, didn't you?"

"I never actually thought it would work. I just focused really hard. I focused on her letting us go. And she did."

"Let's get home, I need to talk to Aunt Kayla." Morgan stuttered as she started driving back to Sarah's house at thirty-five miles per hour.

* * *

Steve watched the speedometer carefully, making sure not to go too fast and get pulled over, even though his right foot felt like it was made of lead. He was the reason his son had been taken. He'd been alone with James just the day prior. He could have explained everything. He could have told the boy who he was, but instead, Steve hid behind the lie. James would find out his dad was Captain America in a prison cell, after being poked and prodded and questioned. Steve didn't know if James could ever forgive him for lying. He'd forgive Kayla. Their son would forgive Kayla for murder, but James would never forgive Steve for withholding the truth.

"Sam, I'm calling in a favor." Steve's eyes darted to his cell phone that sat on the dash, "SHIELD took my son."

"So that's who they're bringing to the compound. I don't normally get work calls from Maria Hill this late at night, but she says she's on her way. They should be here within the half hour." Sam replied, causing Sam and Steve to share a glance.

"I'm gonna need you to help us out, Sam. I don't want him finding out who I am from them." Steve said sternly, but the response he got was a frustrated groan.

"I don't know what you want me to do, Steve-"

"Just let us in." Bucky answered for his friend, pulling off his black leather glove that covered his vibranium hand. "We'll take care of the rest."

"Barnes, I can't do that. This is SHIELD we're talking about. They aren't going to let him go that easily if they think he's a threat." Sam answered, causing Steve to tighten his grip on the steering wheel.

"He's my son. I'm getting him out of this, whether you help me or not." Steve grabbed his phone and ended the call, staring ahead with hazy blue eyes. They darted to Bucky, knowing his best friend was done fighting, "Buck, I can do this alone."

"I know you can. But you don't have to. You know how much that kid means to me." Bucky replied. Steve smiled grimly and pressed harder on the gas, knowing it was a long road to the Avengers Compound.

* * *

Morgan pulled into the Carter's driveway, turning off the engine and looking to Sarah expectantly, "You ready for this?"

"No. But here we go." Sarah grumbled, trying to find the part of her that was brave. Trying to find the part of her that was Sarah Rogers. Morgan waited until Sarah opened the door to follow, letting Sarah take the lead. Sarah pulled out her house key and opened the door, finding her mother pacing anxiously while Tessa sat on the edge of the couch.

When the door opened, Zawadi scampered over to Sarah and barked once, grabbing Kayla's attention. Her eyes widened and she sprinted to her daughter, enveloping Sarah in her arms, "Sarah, oh my God I was so worried about you! Where have you been?" Kayla pulled away, holding onto her daughter's cheeks lovingly as she looked her up and down for harm.

"We were at the game." Sarah said simply, and Kayla held back a sob, trying to keep it together for her daughter. Sarah took a deep breath and continued, "We tried to get to you guys, but it was too crowded, and then everything got crazy."

"They took James. SHIELD took James. Oh Sarah," Kayla cried, unable to hold back the nerves that had built up inside her, "Sarah, I'm so sorry... we-" She looked to Morgan, who just stared ahead blankly, not offering any help or encouragement, "we haven't been very honest with you."

"I know." Sarah admitted, and her mother's guilt melted to confusion for a moment until Sarah added, "Something... has happened. With me."

Kayla moved her hands to her daughter's shoulders, drawing her brows to show her concern. Sarah's arms were shaking as she stared at her mom, wanting to keep this secret to herself. Morgan cleared her throat, and Kayla looked to the brunette, then back to her daughter, "What is it? What happened?"

"We went to the attic." Sarah said and Kayla drew her breath knowingly. She nodded slowly, smiling weakly as she dropped her hands. Sarah watched as her mother shrunk away, "Please don't be mad."

"What did you find?" Kayla pressed anxiously. Sarah had never seen that look before- nervous, anxious, excited. Kayla was about to reveal her favorite secret, but she wanted to let Sarah be the one to take the credit.

"Captain America's shield." Sarah blurted, feeling a weight fall off of her shoulders. Kayla smiled, despite the tears that welled up in her green eyes. Tessa swallowed hard, looking between Morgan and Sarah and Kayla.

Kayla gave her daughter's arms a squeeze, "We wanted to wait until you were older... it's complicated."

"It gets more complicated." Sarah warned and Kayla closed her mouth, waiting for Sarah to explain. "I touched it... and I saw the battle with Thanos."

"You... what?" Kayla asked, blinking rapidly as she felt her legs turn to jelly, "What do you mean, you 'saw it'?"

"I was transported there by some sort of magic and I saw everything that happened. I saw you. I saw Dad." Sarah explained slowly, staring up at her mother with wide eyes.

Kayla looked to Morgan worriedly, but Morgan just raised her hands defensively, "Oh, it gets much weirder."

"I touched Morgan and I was transported to her father's funeral. I touched the shield again and saw Dad crash into the ice in World War II. And I saw you die from the anti-serum." Sarah rattled quickly. Kayla removed her hands from her daughter's arms and stumbled back a step, looking at the floor with wide eyes as she meandered over to the couch and fell into the cushions behind Tessa.

Sarah wrapped her slim arms around her torso as she walked over to the living room, standing in front of Kayla as she tried to register everything that happened. Morgan came and sat beside Kayla, wrapping an arm around her shoulders supportively as she stared at the carpet. "I was there. I saw it happen, she went into some sort of a trance. She also was able to get me out of speeding ticket by using her magical powers on a cop. It's been at trippy evening."

"Yeah, you can say that." Kayla mumbled as she lifted her head to look at Sarah, "You saw all of that? Like, like a movie?"

"More like I was in the movie, trapped in the scene but nobody could see me." Sarah explained and Kayla looked at Tessa to see what her friend thought. Tessa just shrugged, letting her friend know nothing about this family surprised her anymore. Sarah clenched her teeth nervously while her mother stared at her in disbelief, "Mom?"

"I just- I don't know what to say." Kayla admitted, "Is this how you saw the vision of Wakanda the other night?"

"Wakanda?" Sarah asked, looking between her mom and Morgan questioningly, "What about Wakanda?"

"It's what you drew. I remember that view, it's where your father and I got married. It's where I lived before your brother was born." Kayla explained.

Morgan looked to Sarah thoughtfully, feeling her chest tighten, "It's where my mom died." She met Sarah's gaze and things started to fall into place, "What time did you see it?"

"I think around ten our time?" Sarah guessed and Morgan considered this for a moment, counting hours in her head until she realized her suspicion was right.

"That's when she died in Wakanda."

"I'm so scared, Mom." Sarah whimpered as she sat on the other side of Kayla on the couch, and the older woman wrapped her arms around her daughter lovingly.

"I know. I'm scared too. Your brother's been taken. You seem to have magical powers, and your dad is on a suicide mission, as per usual. I'm absolutely terrified." Kayla admitted, squeezing Sarah tightly, "But we're going to get through this. Now, what do you want to know?"

Sarah stared forward, realizing her mother was going to finally tell her about her past, about her history. Sarah beamed at Kayla, "Tell me everything."


	89. Chapter 89

James looked out the front of the cockpit as the massive compound came into view. Lights illuminated the Avengers Base from the air as red lights blinked around a landing pad, signaling the SHIELD jet was cleared for landing. "Whoa." James breathed from his seat as the agents shot him a warning look. He noticed and cleared his throat, sitting up straighter as the other's watched him nervously.

"Like what you see?" Maria Hill asked from where she stood behind the pilot. James nodded thoughtlessly and she snorted in response, "Could have all been yours."

James locked onto the woman, sizing her up as he considered her words. "What do you mean by that?"

Maria smiled sadly, seeing the boy had no clue who he was, but she did. She could see it clear as day in his face, "I just mean..." She trailed off, seeing how sad and confused the boy looked. "... maybe you aren't who I thought you were."

"Yeah. I get that a lot." James grumbled, cracking his knuckles and swearing to get the truth, the real truth, out of his parents the moment he saw them again. "What are you going to do with me here?"

"Take a blood sample. Run a few tests. You seem to have abilities beyond the average man, and we need to figure out why." Maria explained calmly as the jet hit the tarmac silently. James unbuckled his seat belt and stretched his arms, his bulging muscles furthering Maria's point. "You seem to have super human strength."

"I told you, I'm not on drugs." James droned as the back of the jet opened, revealing more agents there to receive him. He gulped loudly, pushing back his hair and turning to Maria, "I'm starting to think you don't believe I'm on steroids, either."

"I don't. You said you weren't, and I believe you. That doesn't mean that the drugs don't come from elsewhere though." Maria warned as the agents each took an arm to lead James off the plane. She stood back for a moment, watching the boy being led away. She wanted him to be Steve's son. If he was the son of Captain America, he had so much potential. Potential SHIELD wanted to tap into.

Two large glass doors opened to reveal a long, bleak hallway lined with heavy doors on either side. James looked around as he was led to the elevator at the end of the hall, trying to get a look into what he was passing. "Is this... a prison?"

"No, that's in the basement." One of the agents answered gruffly and James swallowed, suddenly feeling very parched. He felt cold wandering the halls of this strange, unwelcoming place in his white undershirt and football pants. His cleats were uncomfortable on the tile floor, but he hadn't been given a chance to bring a change of clothes.

The agents led James into the elevator and pressed a series of buttons, holding the door so Director Hill could join them. Once she was inside, the doors closed and the elevator rose quietly, only dinging when they reached their destination. James looked around in awe as they passed by glass walls looking into labs of all kinds. He balked a little when he saw a massive green creature slumped over a work station, "Is that the- the Hu-"

"Doctor Bruce Banner, yes." Maria supplied as she continued walking down the hall briskly, "He'll be along to see you shortly. I have to speak with the Captain first."

James froze, effectively bringing the two men trying to drag him to a stop. They tugged on him, but he pulled against them until Maria herself turned to face him. He quivered, his eyes excited despite how scared he looked, "The Captain? Like, Captain America?"

"Yes." Maria answered easily, turning on her heels to continue to her destination. She pushed open a glass door and motioned for James to enter and sit at the long oak conference table ahead of them. He slowly sat as he kept his eyes on Maria, waiting for something to happen, "Wait here. We'll be right back. Don't try anything stupid, Mr. Carter. Even you are outnumbered here."

James nodded obediently as Maria swept out of the room, taking her agents with her. James looked around, wishing he had his phone. Wishing somebody, anybody, knew where he was. He wished someone was coming to save him.

* * *

"It's late. What are you doing here?" Sam groaned as he met Maria Hill outside the conference room. He froze when he looked over her shoulder and saw the boy sitting at the table beyond the glass, "Who's that?"

"I believe he's Steve Rogers' son." Maria answered, cutting to the chase. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin defiantly, "His history teacher ID'ed him. She contacted SHIELD several weeks ago saying she had an unusual student who resembled Steve Rogers... I thought you were the one who declared the boy dead years ago, did you not?"

"I was sure he was." Sam muttered, his breath taken from his chest at the sight of the boy. He knew exactly who sat on the other side of the wall, and he wanted to meet him so damn badly. "The resemblance is uncanny."

"I want Banner to do a blood test. See if he has any serum. See if he's really their son." Maria said quietly, her demeanor softening a little. "I'd love to meet Steve's son."

"Is that what Steve would have wanted? To have his son controlled by SHIELD?" Sam sneered as he moved around her to get a better look, pressing his hand against the glass as he watched James stare around the room. "Does he know?"

"No. I don't believe so." Maria admitted quietly as she stood alongside Sam.

"He's a ripped teenager, I'm not going to tell him anything until we know for sure. It could be a trap. Who's to say something darker isn't at work here to get us to take down our guard?" Sam replied slowly, turning to Maria with a heavy sigh, "I saw the report of what he did. We better get a sample just in case. Go get Banner, I want to talk to the kid."

"Yes, Captain." Maria said with a sly smile, knowing with Sam's blessing they could continue on as planned.

Once Maria Hill had rounded the corner to collect Banner, Sam took a deep breath and pulled open the door, causing the young man to look up at him in wonder. "Captain America!" James squeaked as he sprung to his feet, knocking over his chair as his hand flung to his forehead in an awkward salute. He stammered for a moment, leaning over to pick up the chair before turning back to Sam with a beaming smile. "Sir, it's an honor to meet you."

"Call me Sam. And you are?"

"James! James Carter. I'm, uh, I'm here because-" James stammered, his cheeks burning red as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know why you're here." Sam offered, pulling out a chair and taking a seat. He was wearing his combat pants with a long sleeved white undershirt, but his confidence was enough to make James shake in his cleats as he fell back into his chair. Sam heard the wood crack underneath his weight and he offered an embarrassed smile. Sam studied the boy curiously, noting he was a dead ringer for his father, "Heard you punted a kid across the football field."

"It wasn't nearly that intense, I swear!" James defended himself, throwing his hands up in front of his chest, "It was an accident, I'm just really strong! So is my mom, so is my dad..." James trailed off, dropping his hands to his lap and studying them for a moment as the idea struck him, "Do you know my parents?"

"Not sure. Depends on who they are." Sam's snark put the boy at ease as he looked back up at Captain America, "There's a chance you could be what we call an 'enhanced individual'. Sometimes people are born with it, sometimes they are given it by... experiential circumstances."

James nodded, captivated by Sam's words, "So, like, I could be born like this, or- I could be the result of some sort of experiment?"

"Or both?" Sam suggested with a shrug, praying James didn't realize the way his breath hitched when he realized that was the correct answer. "Doctor Banner is going to take a blood sample and run a few tests, to see the extent of your strength. To try and figure out how you did what you did tonight. Is that alright?"

"You're asking me? I didn't really think I had a choice." James muttered when he remembered he was a prisoner, not a guest.

Sam smiled sadly at him and nodded, "I won't let the Director do anything you don't want to do. I promise."

"I'll do it." James answered confidently, "I want to know what I am. I want to know what I can do."

Sam's head rose and fell slowly, what was meant to be another nod, but not quite as confident as it should have been. "We'd like to know that too."

Sam and James looked up as two SHIELD agents entered, "Doctor Banner is ready for you in his lab."

Sam pat the boy's hand and James grinned like a madman as the older soldier stood up and lead him out of the room. James followed him dutifully down the hallway, looking all around, "So, like, if I have superhuman strength or something, does that mean I can be an Avenger? I'll graduate in the spring, and maybe I could start training here, and-"

"Whoa there, Buddy. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. You don't even know the extent of your power-"

"Power? Oh my gosh, what if I have powers or something crazy? That would be so lit!" James fist pumped the air, placing a little too much weight into his step because his cleat cracked through the tile. He looked down and Sam groaned a little, "Sorry- sorry... I can pay for that?"

"It's fine. Just, simmer down a bit." Sam grumbled, pushing open a door for James before turning to the agents behind them, "We'll take it from here."

James paused when he came face to face with the Hulk. "Hi, umm, Doctor Banner. It's an honor to meet you." James stared up with wide green eyes as Professor Hulk met him near the entrance to the lab.

Bruce's face wasn't as neutral as Sam's had been when he saw the boy. There was a mix of disbelief and happiness that wavered on borderline devastation as Banner went through all the emotions of seeing his old friends' son. "It's nice to meet you." Bruce paused, looking up to Sam who did a cut it out motion against his throat, "Yes, em- I can't do this. I'm sorry, Sam." Doctor Banner started lumbering toward the other end of the lab until Maria's voice echoed from behind Sam.

"Doctor Banner, please. We need to know what we're dealing with-"

"I think it's pretty obvious what we're dealing with, Hill. I draw the line here. I'm too old for this, I stick around because I have nowhere else to go. But I'm not doing this." Bruce pointed to the boy, and James put his hands up in defense.

"I don't know what we're dealing with and why it's so obvious to everyone else but me." James said as he raised his hand, looking between the Director of SHIELD, Captain America, and Professor Hulk, all of whom seemed to know him. "I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not... him. I'm nobody, I swear. My parents aren't anything special. But maybe I could be though. Run your tests."

Maria turned to Bruce and shrugged, gesturing towards the boy, "Give him what he wants. We'll set up a room downstairs."

"Aren't you taking me home?" James called as Maria left, but she just looked over her shoulder to give him a pointed look, then left. "Or... not."

"I'll see if I can get you something a little more comfortable to wear. I know just where to look downstairs." Sam muttered quietly, then looked to Banner, "I'll be back soon."

"Take a seat kid, let's get this over with." Bruce mumbled and gestured to a chair next to his table. James did as he was told and pulled up his sleeve to reveal his arm as Bruce produced a thick needle and a large tube. James's eyes widened as Bruce put the syringe together and aimed it at the boy's upper left arm.

James winced as the needle poked through his thick skin, finding a vein and beginning to draw the blood into the vial. "So, Doctor Banner, uh- what do you think, is the deal with... me?"

"Wouldn't know kid. You just look familiar, that's all. But SHIELD monitors threats, and you seem to be a threat. You're either with them or against them. No in between." Bruce withdrew the needle and discarded it carefully before plugging the vial into his computer. "It could take a few hours to get results on your blood. I'm guessing you're tired. We can do more tests in the morning."

"My mom has to be freaking out, can I call her? Let her know I'm alright? Can I borrow a phone or computer or- something? Because this is seeming more and more like kidnapping." James taunted but Bruce just chuckled, amused at his attempt to get the upper hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure she is freaking out, wherever she is." Bruce muttered fondly, looking over at the boy as Sam approached the lab. "I'm sorry this isn't exactly... pleasant, but we mean well. We need to know all the variables, you know?"

James pursed his lips as he pushed himself off of the chair with a grunt, "Yeah, I guess. I'd like to know those too."

Sam nodded toward the door and James followed, taking several long strides to catch up with the Captain. Bruce smiled to himself as they left, looking at his computer as numbers and charts swirled on the screen, trying to figure out what components made up the boy's bloodstream. The computer began beeping quickly, having already identified two similar substances. Bruce beamed at the results, before swiping his finger across the screen's image and deleting it. He looked up, hearing the sound of talking fade as Sam lead James down to the detention center.

"So, now what? I just wait? Are you going to contact my parents? Can I borrow a phone or..." James trailed off as they reached the elevator, noticing Sam hit the lowest number, meaning they were taking him to the basement. Where the prisoners were kept. "You know, Captain- Sam, sir, I only agreed to come because it was this or face my father, and I'm starting to think I should have gone with Dad."

Sam snorted and the doors opened to a long, dark hallway, "We'll get in contact with your parents. I'm sure they'll come get you first thing in the morning." Sam said truthfully, knowing Steve was halfway there by now. He pressed his palm to a keypad and a blue light scanned it up and down before opening the glass panel and metal bars. Sam gestured grimly into the cell and James followed his lead, studying his prison. "I'm sorry about this Kid. If I had my way we'd put you up somewhere a bit nicer, but I was outvoted. At least until the tests come back. You have to understand, it's a matter of security to make sure you aren't a threat."

"Yeah, yeah, I've gotten that." James mumbled as he looked around the room, noticing a small offset that must be a bathroom, "Is there a shower?"

"Yes. And I, uh, got you some fresh clothes. I'm going out on a limb and guessing they'll fit, but you're a pretty big dude, so..." Sam trailed off as he pointed to the bed, where a neatly folded pair of jeans under a white t-shirt and black jacket lay, while a pair of running shoes sat off to the side on the dirty mattress. James picked up the jacket and studied it for a moment while Sam leaned against the wall, gauging his thoughts, "Like I said, hopefully they fit. They're some big shoes to fill."

Before James could ask what he meant, Sam swooped out of the cell and hit the keypad, bringing down the glass from the ceiling and metal bars from the right. "Thanks." James mumbled, sitting on the creaking bed. "For nothing."

After staring at the wall forever, James finally stood and grabbed the clothes, making his way to the bathroom to shower. It would be a long night, and he didn't think he'd be sleeping.


	90. Chapter 90

At 1:03 in the morning, an alarm started blaring throughout the compound, illuminating the prison hallway red. James sat up and looked out the glass, seeing several heavily armed SHIELD agents running past him until Director Hill herself stopped in front of him.

"What's going on?" James yelled, his voice echoing through the thick glass.

"We've had a break in. Don't worry. We'll keep you safe." Director Hill responded firmly, snapping her own gun into place. James pulled his mouth into a tight line and leaned against the glass, trying to get a better look at his surroundings. After about five minutes, the alarm stopped and all the lights turned off. James looked around questioningly, noticing Maria Hill stiffen as her hand flew to her earpiece. "Copy that." She turned to look at James with narrowed eyes, "If you aren't in this cell when I get back, we're going to have some real issues."

James smashed his fist against the glass through the bars, causing a small crack that he didn't expect, but gesturing toward it nonetheless, "I don't think it'll be a problem." Maria smiled and took off running, leaving James alone in the quiet darkness.

Maria pushed through the doorway of the stairwell to find Sam suited up in everything but his cowl with Cassie, Kate, and Wanda by his side. "Status report?"

"The energy panel has been ripped out." Sam said, producing a hologram of the damage from his arm. An underground power box had been dug up and the box ripped in half, discarded across the grass on the back lawn. Maria looked from the hologram to Sam, seeing the Captain looking less than surprised.

"So somebody took out the power. They're in the building. Find them, now." Maria looked to the three women, sending Kate and Cassie sprinting away. Wanda just grinned, her eyes glowing red as she turned slowly to begin her search, red dancing on her fingers that she didn't intend to use. Director Hill turned to Sam with narrowed eyes, "I want them captured. I want to have words."

"He'll leave with his son and you'll never see him again." Sam answered, but Maria just crossed her arms and grinned.

"If she's still alive, she's wanted for several counts of murder, among other things. SHIELD would consider sweeping some things under the rug for a little cooperation from a certain super soldier." Maria bartered, but Sam just shook his head. "Listen Wilson, I know you people keep tight lipped about your Avenger activities, but I don't think it's a coincidence that your reports often feel incomplete. If you keep protecting them, it'll cost you the shield."

Sam ejected his wings and flew up and over Maria Hill, considering her threat as he soared down the halls of his home. He'd made it to the communal area when he heard a voice in his ear telling him the hostiles were heading toward the armory. Sam changed direction, but was quickly thrown against the wall by Kate Bishop's body weight.

Kate groaned and rolled over, eyes widening as she saw who towered above her, but a heavy boot pressed itself against her chest before she could stand. Sam rolled over onto his elbow and looked up, smiling when he met the familiar expression of resignation, "It's been a long time Barnes. How's the Mrs.?"

"She's fine. Home with Kayla, who's worried sick by the way." Bucky answered as Sam chuckled a little, raising his hand up to Bucky, but the Winter Soldier didn't help him.

Kate groaned as she rested her head back down, waiting for Bucky to release her, "I'd really enjoy breathing Barnes, if you don't mind?"

Bucky removed his foot from the girl and took Sam's hand to hoist him to his feet, "I don't want to fight you guys. But I'm not leaving here without the kid."

"You alone?" Sam pressed, realizing there hadn't been a sound since his conversation with Bucky started. "I can't give you the boy. Banner hasn't given us the results yet."

"You know who he is, Sam. He doesn't. Let me take him home to his parents. He's just a kid."

"He's eighteen and the kid he hit is on life support. We can protect him, you know we can." Sam argued, but looked up from Barnes when he heard a grunt coming from the armory. "You aren't alone-"

"Sam, you know how this ends. Look the other way and nobody gets hurt." Bucky warned as he backed up a step, just as Cassie Lang was hurled into the hallway from the armory. She hit the wall and fell on her ass, grumbling as she stumbled to her feet to face her attacker again.

Sam continued moving toward Bucky, backing him into the corner before placing his right hand onto a keypad, opening a panel in the wall to reveal his shield. Bucky watched as Sam reached for it and slid it onto his arm, "I thought the Enchantress destroyed it."

"About two weeks after Thor took her, the pile of goo reverted back to this. Her magic doesn't last." Sam replied, finally pushing Bucky to the end of the hall. "Where is he?"

"Already heading downstairs, I would assume. I was just supposed to distract you." Bucky grinned for the first time and Sam lunged as him, but the Winter Soldier caught the shield in his vibranium hand and shoved Sam backwards before darting through the armory to the stairwell.

"Attention all agents, we have two enhanced individuals on the premises, headed for the-" Sam's transmission began to crackle and he felt a spark in his ear before he had to pull the comm out, letting it fall to the ground. "Ouch, what the-" Sam looked up to see Wanda's eyes burning red. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm protecting my friends. You don't want to do this. I can tell." Wanda's eyes glowed red for a moment as red wisps invaded Sam's mind. "Let it go." Wanda pulled her fists, tightening her grip on Sam as she lifted him off the ground. "Call them off."

Sam choked a little, "I can't, you shorted out my comm." Wanda dropped her hand, letting Sam fall to the floor as she turned and started running the opposite direction, "You do this, you're no longer an Avenger!"

Wanda stopped running, looking down at her long red jacket and corset, realizing she was nothing else. She turned her head, not fully moving her body to see Sam, but so he could hear her voice, "Then I'm no longer an Avenger." She continued running, blasting away several SHIELD agents who tried to move toward the stairwell, effectively protecting the super soldiers from being cornered. In the darkness of the powerless compound, her red illuminated the open area like a poison that would destroy the Avengers from the inside out.

Sam dropped his head, allowing himself one deep breath before pushing himself to his feet, knowing he was too old to be fighting his best friends. But he had a job to do. He strapped the shield to his back and trotted through the armory to the back stairwell, descending into the basement as the heat began to rise.

Steve ran through the basement, looking through the metals bars of all the empty cells for his son in the darkness. He wiped his brow, regretting knocking out the power, but knowing they'd already be in SHIELD custody if they had access to their tech. Steve slowed down as he reached the end of the hall, "James!"

"Dad?" The disbelief in James's voice was obvious as his father appeared in front of the glass, "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take you home." Steve answered easily, studying his son's cage, "What did they do to you?"

"They took my blood. Doctor Banner- he took a lot of blood to test." James stammered as he pressed his hands against the glass, "Dad, you gotta get out of here, you're in way over your head."

Steve chuckled until he heard footsteps coming from the stairs. He shifted his weight and lifted his fists naturally as James watched on, preparing to fight. Bucky pushed through the door and leaned against it, smiling at James as he waved with his right hand. James stared in wonder between Steve and Bucky as the latter approached the glass, "What are we dealing with here?"

"At least sixteen inches deep. I'm assuming the bars on the other side are vibranium. You still have security clearance?" Steve asked, and Bucky shook his head.

"I never did." He grumbled, looking through the glass. "They didn't trust me with the prisoners. They didn't trust anyone aside from Sam and Banner."

Steve grit his teeth and turned his back on James, clenching his fist as he focused. James swallowed and leaned against the bars, "Dad, just go. I'll be okay." Before James could say another word, Steve swung around and slammed his fist into the glass, causing it to crack easily. James stared at the shattering layer of glass in shock, "Wha- how... I don't understand!" James yelped as he backed away when Steve slammed the glass again, causing it to crack even more, "How are you doing this?"

Bucky pulled off his leather glove, revealing his vibranium hand before slamming it into the glass as well, causing a fist size hole to form. James began to jump up and down excitedly before raking his fingers through his hair, "This is AMAZING! I can't believe this- you two- you are-"

As Bucky wound up to land another left-handed punch against the glass, a massive disk slammed into his back that sent him to his knees. "Buck!" Steve yelped as he knelt next to his best friend, looking up when Sam kicked the side of the shield and it flew back into his hand. "Why are you doing this?"

"Please, Steve, I know... I _know_ you think you're doing the right thing. You are- I would have never taken your son, you have to understand that. But SHIELD isn't going to let him go that easily. If you go now, you'll never stop running." Sam looked down at Bucky, who stared up at him with angry dark eyes, "I love you guys. I don't want to hurt you."

"Sam..." Steve warned, standing to his feet and taking a step closer to his friend, "You know you can't hurt us."

Sam smiled sadly, dropping his head, "I know." He wound up and threw the Captain America shield at Steve. James couldn't hide his bewildered expression when he watched his dad; his construction working, art loving, lounge around home in front of the TV dad; reach out and catch the shield with his left hand easily. James stumbled back a step, losing his footing and falling as his dad strapped the shield onto his left arm, staring at it fondly.

"Dad?" James asked as he scrambled back to his feet, grabbing the thick metal bars as Steve stared down at his shield, "How did you do that?"

Steve looked up at his son with a beaming smile, "You might want to take a step back." James did as he was told, backing up until he hit the back of the wall as his dad wound up his left arm and smashed into the glass, sending it shattering everywhere. James covered his face with his arm, only turning when the sound settled. He carefully stepped over the glass to his father, reaching through the large bars to grasp Steve's right hand in his own. Steve breathed heavily through his smile, "I can explain-"

James chuckled a little, looking Steve up and down before asking, "Are you..."

"He's Captain America." Bucky grunted as he leaned against Sam's shoulder, wincing when he massaged his own back, "Steve Rogers."

Steve ignored Bucky as he clenched two of the metal bars and pulled against them as hard as he could, "Vibranium, right?"

"Strongest metal on Earth. You aren't going to be able to get through it." Sam answered as he moved toward the cell. He placed his hand on the pad and opened the bars, allowing James to run out to his father. He wrapped his arms around Steve in a tight hug, and Steve pat his back, not letting go until Sam cleared his throat. At the growing sound of footsteps, Bucky leaned his weight against the door as sweat dripped down his face.

"This reunion is lasting a little long. We gotta get out of here."

Sam and Steve exchanged a glance before Steve pulled the Captain America shield off his arm and tried to hand it to his friend, "No." Sam declined, pushing the shield back, "I think that belongs to you. Thanks for letting me borrow it for a while. You might need it where you're going."

"Which is?" James asked as he leaned against the door with Bucky, feeling the weight of the SHIELD agents on the other side trying to break through. "What are we going to do?"

Steve turned to Sam and he smiled, turning his body to prepare to take a hit, "Don't hit me too hard, I did help you get your kid back." Steve nodded, a weak smile on his lips as he thanked Sam, then punched him. Sam fell to the ground in a heap and Steve turned to Bucky and James, ready to spring into action.

"James, run to the end of the hall, up the back stairwell and through the armory, Buck will show you the way." Steve directed as he yanked his son's arm and pushed him in the correct direction.

James looked around in panic, stumbling backward a few steps, "What about you?"

Steve looked to Bucky, who met him with a knowing smirk, "I'll cover you."

Bucky gave a breathless nod, then bolted from the door, causing the SHIELD agents to pile through and straight into solid vibranium shield. James looked back to see his dad upper cut a man with his fist before he slammed the shield into him, causing the agent to fly backward and take out two others. Bullets bounced off the shield as he held it up, protecting his face as he slowly backed away, then charged forward and knocked into the three remaining men, hurling them toward the ground.

"Whoa." James was quickly yanked by the shoulder into the stairwell where Bucky took the lead, showing the boy how to get out. James, on the other hand, was too distracted to follow directions, "What's gonna happen to him?"

"Nothing, he'll be along in just a mome-" Bucky froze in place, and James looked up past him to see what caused the abrupt stop.

Standing at the top of the stairs was the woman from Pepper's funeral, her long red hair flowing wildly inside as red ink played between her long fingers, "You could have told me you were coming. This could have been a lot easier." She purred, taking a step back to allow Bucky into the armory. He watched her carefully, keeping his front facing her as he pulled James along behind him. Her eyes were red as she continued, "You're afraid of me. You don't know who to trust, but you can trust me. I'll get you out of here."

The three looked to the left to see Steve emerge from the stairway, panting a little as he lowered his shield. He nodded a greeting to Wanda and she smiled, turning to Bucky, "There's a quinjet on the roof, but you'll have to get through the Director."

"We brought transport." Steve replied, passing Wanda only to quickly press his back against the wall and throw his finger to his lips. Bucky grabbed James and pulled him down into a crouch as Wanda peeled an air vent away to float up through. Bucky motioned for James to keep his head down, then slowly crept toward the wall and plucked a sniper rifle out of a shattered case. He lowered it to the floor and quickly slid it to James, who stared at the gun in terror.

"You want me to use this?" James whispered loudly, only to receive two quick shushes in return. Steve peeked around the doorframe to see two SHIELD agents stalking the halls, guns at the ready. James clamped his mouth shut and cowered beneath a counter, slowly grabbing the rifle and holding it to his chest. He looked up, praying he wasn't about to be part of a firefight, until he jumped at the sound of metal scraping tile. He looked to his right to see a handgun sliding across the floor to his dad, bumping Steve's tennis shoe. James looked back to Bucky, seeing the man already creeping back toward him silently.

Bucky took the sniper rifle from James's hand, holding it effortlessly in a way that made James nauseous. He peeked around the counter to see Steve holding the gun in his right hand and the shield in his left, peering into the hallway. "Alright. Coast is clear. Let's make a break for the woods-" Steve started, then quickly lifted his shield in time to block a punch from Stature. The Avenger had been smaller than an ant, but after getting the information she needed, grew to regular size to take a swing at Steve Rogers, not expecting to run into the famous vibranium instead.

"They're in the armory!" Cassie yelled into her comm as Steve pushed his shield against her, backing her into a cabinet of arrows, "Send backup, now!"

Wanda floated down from her hiding spot to twist her fingers behind Cassie's head, causing the girl to wobble a bit before reaching out to a glass counter to steady herself. Her eyes glowed red for a moment before she went down, but she was still conscious as she swayed back and forth on the floor.

James stole a look at the girl as they ran from the room, then looked back to the strange woman in fear, "What did you do to her?"

"She's having a vision. A memory. It's one of my many talents, James Rogers." Wanda replied, her voice deep and mysterious and she slid to a stop, thrusting out her hand to send several SHIELD agents flying backward from her magic. James blinked rapidly, only to be yanked forward once more by his Uncle Bucky.

Steve continued sprinting through the compound, looking around occasionally to make sure it was the same layout as their former one, "If Stature heard we were going toward the woods, we can't go that way now. We have to take our chances with the quinjet." Steve swung around a corner and skidded to a stop. Bucky, Wanda and James followed suit as they stared down Doctor Banner and Maria Hill.

"Steve, I-" Bruce started, but Steve just tightened his grip on his shield and shifted his feet.

"Bruce. I don't want to fight you."

"I'm not going to fight you, I just want you to think about what you're doing here- There's still a way to make this work the right way." Bruce pleaded, but Steve shook his head, throwing out his left arm in front of his son so the shield blocked him.

"SHIELD took my son. Whether you know about him or not is our business. There's no Accords. There's no registration. No reason for SHIELD to need him." Steve was shaking as he raised the gun, his mind fogged by the need to get his child home, "Bruce, you snapped your fingers. You brought him back, you know how much he means to us."

"So she is alive." Maria took a step forward, drawing her gun to aim in at Steve as she began to circle him, "Steve, we just need to know his limits, we can't have enhanced individuals running about without supervision-"

"He's just a kid. He didn't volunteer for this, he didn't agree to this, he was born like this." Steve snarled, moving the gun from Bruce to Maria as he kept his shield in front of James, "This isn't some experiment, he's my son. He can't help it."

"Listen, it's like I told Sam, we can work out a deal to make sure your wife doesn't go back to prison. We can forget any of this ever happened, we can even make the football incident go away. But if you run, we'll hunt you down, and we'll take everything from you." Maria sneered and Steve felt a shiver down his spine. Something wasn't right.

"Director- Director- the air's been off too long in the basement- sub-level H is melting fast-" Bruce looked to Wanda and the former quickly strode toward Maria, blocking her from their friends. Maria's hand was shaking as it fell from her comm to her side, looking up at Bruce in defeat. "Sub-level H. I copy."

"We have bigger problems right now. Let them go." Bruce warned and Wanda swirled her hands, trying to invade the Director's mind, but she just couldn't. She threw up her hands, creating a force field from her all the way to the glass door leading to the roof. Bruce looked to her sadly, "Go. We'll take care of things here." Wanda followed his directions and sprinted along the barrier to the glass doors, letting the shield fall as she did. When she reached the jet, Steve already had it up and running, and the moment her feet hit the metal, they were rising into the air and soaring into the night.


	91. Chapter 91

Once airborne, Steve quickly put the quinjet into stealth mode and set course back toward home, trying to block out the excited jabbering of his teenage son behind him.

"I can't believe this, my dad is Captain America. The Captain America! I feel like such an idiot, how did I not realize this before!" James rambled from his seat across from Wanda. The woman smiled sweetly at his chattering, but didn't offer anything in terms of information. Bucky stood behind Steve, clinging to the roof of the jet as they flew.

He kicked the shield to Steve's left gently, getting his friend's attention, "Weird having this back?"

"I never wanted it back. But Sam was right, I'm gonna need it where we're going." Steve grumbled, looking up at Bucky, "Thank you, for coming with me to get him back."

"You know I'd do anything for him. I'm his namesake, remember?" Bucky chuckled, looking back at James as the young blonde looked up hopefully. "I can take the wheel. This thing basically pilots itself. I think you have a few conversations that need to be had."

A deep hum hung in Steve's throat as he set the controls, then stood, allowing Bucky to take his place. He moved slowly back to his son, leaning against the center table of the jet, "So, I'm guessing you have a lot of questions."

James tried hard to hide his grin, but he couldn't contain it, and his perfect smile broke through. Steve was struck by how much the expression looked like his mother's, "Yes. I- I don't know where to even start..." James trailed off, considering the increasing list of questions he had in his head. Finally, he asked the one that was most relevant: "Am I a super soldier, too?"

Steve cleared his throat, looking down as he collected his thoughts, "I would assume so. I have the original formula developed during World War II, and your mother has a formula she created when we first met, based off of Erskine and Banner's work. Between the two of us, you most likely have the serum in your blood stream, which in turn will effect your cells and your muscles."

"So all this time, the reason you wouldn't let me do anything, it's because I have super strength and- what else, super speed?" James pressed, leaning forward so his elbows were on his knees.

Steve sighed, "Among other things. The serum was designed to bring a soldier to the peak of human potential. It affects your body and your mind. I don't- we don't exactly know the extent of what was passed down to you. It didn't matter. You're just our child, we didn't care what you could do."

"But I do." James argued, sitting up and leaning back, "And SHIELD clearly does to since they kidnapped me and ran tests on me. I can't believe you didn't say anything. All this time-"

"We wanted to tell you when you and your sister were older. We didn't want you to think you were any different than anybody else." Steve explained, seeing his son's expression harden.

"But I'm special. You just conditioned me to half-ass everything so I wouldn't unlock my full potential! That's not fair!" James argued, but Steve shot him a look that would have silenced a platoon of soldiers, but it was lost on his son.

Steve shifted his weight, lifting his head to look down his nose at James, "And you think it would be fair to let a super soldier play football? Basketball? Knowing he could outrun, out throw every person on the team? Or we could let you believe you were on the same level as everyone else and keep you from hitting that potential and hurting someone. Like you did last night." Steve looked toward the front of the jet as the sun began to rise. With a sigh, Steve hung his head, "Your mother and I talked about this so many times when you were little. We knew you'd be different, but we didn't want you to miss your childhood. We wanted you to be whoever you wanted to be, not who you were expected to be."

"What about Sarah? Did she know? Does she know who you guys are... what I am?" James questioned, reeling from the idea his sister could have been keeping such a secret from him.

"No." Steve answered firmly, "She has no idea. We wanted to tell you two together. Honestly, we were hoping to tell you today, after your last Homecoming game. Things just... went askew." Steve looked to the pilot's chair, his eyes falling on the shield to the left of Bucky, "It was really hard pretending to be someone else all these years. But I wouldn't trade away a single moment of letting you and your sister grow up normally. What comes next is up to you both."

James looked up at his dad with big green eyes, seeing his life with clarity for the first time. Understanding who he was for the very first time, "What does that mean?"

"Your mother created the closest thing to Erskine's original formula from 1940. She also created an anti-serum. You could take it, if you'd like, if you didn't want to be superhuman. You could really be normal... we considered giving it to you as a child, but we wanted you to choose."

"Does Sarah have super serum?" James asked quickly, seemingly ignoring the offer his father had just given him, "She's so sick all the time-"

"Your sister's situation is complicated." Steve muttered, looking over his shoulder to Wanda, who was listening intently, "When your mom was pregnant with Sarah, she got in a fight with the Red Skull. Johann Schmidt. He took her serum in an effort to extract something from your mother. She took what's called an Infinity Stone, and it gave her powers briefly. When your mom returned- we weren't sure Sarah was going to make it. Things went off the rails after that... mostly my fault." Steve admitted, twisting his hands together as he became frustrated over the memory. "People died. Your mom had your sister in jail. We faked her death and broke her out. We've been hiding ever since."

James nodded, understanding why they'd kept so many secrets over the years. He had a million things he wanted to know, but he could see the past was taking a toll on his father. So he looked to the right and grinned as he saw the Captain America shield, "Can I hold it?"

Steve chuckled, pushing back his hair as he shoved himself away from the table, "Yeah. I never fought with this one though. I brought it back from the past to give to Sam. But it's mine."

"You did what now?" James squawked as Steve scooped up the disk and brought it to James. He beamed proudly as he handed the shield to his firstborn, taking in the way he gawked at it. After running his fingers along the edge, James held it up with his right hand and shoved his left arm through the belts on the back. "How do I look?" He asked sincerely as he stood, displaying the shield at his side.

Steve swallowed back the tears that threatened to erupt at the sight, so he cleared his throat. "You look great." Steve looked his son up and down, smirking a little when he recognized the outfit, "Those are my clothes too."

"What?" James laughed as he looked down, "Well, since everyone except me seemed to know I was your son, I shouldn't be so surprised. Capta- Sam said I had some big shoes to fill."

"Oh, did he?" Steve smiled, reaching around and gently unbuckling the shield from James's forearm, "Enough of this for now. I have to get a hold of your mom."

"We can't go back to your place. They know who James is, I'm sure his school has your address." Bucky called from the cockpit. "We need to have them meet us somewhere."

"Get Stark on the phone. Tell him to expect company. I'll call my wife." Steve strapped the shield back to his own arm for safekeeping as he wandered about the jet. "Wanda, what can you tell us about Sub-Level H?"

Wanda paled at the words, looking up at Steve worriedly, "That's where Schmidt was held. He's been on ice since we caught him. In case we needed information from him. We didn't trust anybody else to keep him locked up."

"Fuck!" Steve barked as he slammed his right hand on the table, "We knocked out the power-"

"And thawed out your greatest enemy. Barnes is right, we can't go back to your place. But leading him to Morgan isn't safe either. She's dealt with enough this week." Wanda studied the way Steve's expression changed, seeing she'd caught him in a lie. "Unless you know something I don't?"

"Why don't you just invade his mind and find out, it's your favorite pastime." Bucky teased from the front, but Wanda just waited patiently for Steve to tell her the truth. He always would, he was Steve Rogers.

"Tony's alive. Kayla saved him. He raised Morgan in solitude with Pepper. The only people who know he's alive are us, Queens, and T'Challa. Everyone else thinks she remarried."

Wanda's lips pulled up into a small grin and she nodded once, "Then perhaps we do have a safe house at Stark's place. I don't want to drag Clint into this. He's done too much already."

"No. I wouldn't drag Tony into it, except he has the resources to get us somewhere safe. If anywhere is safe." Steve mumbled, clenching the table tightly, "If Schmidt is alive, he'll come after Kayla and I. We took everything from him. Twice."

"Well, on the bright side, your children know what's happening now, so we can help." James offered and Steve spun on his heels to face him.

"No."

James snorted, pulling his head back in surprise, "What do you mean, no? I'm a super soldier, it's what I'm meant for."

"You aren't meant for anything. You're lucky you inherited my good genes and not my bad ones like your sister. I was created. Your mom was saved. You were... just our son." Steve simmered, looking over to Bucky for help, but he received nothing but silence from his best friend. "You'll protect your sister, and if it comes to it, your mother. Do you understand me? You're... backup."

"Backup?" James sneered, but Steve glared him down so the boy just huffed, "Fine. Backup."

Bucky sent word to Stark of their arrival as Steve called his wife, who answered halfway through the first ring, "Hello?"

"Steve! Steve- what happened, where's-"

Steve thrust the phone into James's hand, already knowing what his wife cared about, and it wasn't him. "Hey, Mom. It's me, James."

"James!" Kayla wept into the phone as she cradled it against her cheek. Morgan tried to gently pry the phone from Kayla's hand, but the older woman clenched it and growled at the younger girl, "Baby, are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"No, no I'm fine, they just took some blood. I promise, I'm fine- Mom-" James groaned as his mother chattered senselessly on the other end of the line, "Mom, Dad needs to talk to you. It's important."

"As long as you're okay. That's all that matters-" Kayla cried as Tessa wrapped her arm around Kayla's shoulders, rubbing her arm supportively. Sarah flipped through her dad's old sketchbook on the floor as Zawadi laid beside her. Sarah closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to a drawing of the old Avengers Tower, finding herself thrown back in time again.

When the hazy orange settled, as Sarah had come to realizealways did, she found herself on the party deck of Avengers Tower. Sarah learned more from the memories stored in the old sketches than any story her mother could tell, and Sarah was beginning to enjoy using her newfound powers to wade through those memories. Sarah looked around, seeing the massive room filled with people. A party.

But the sound of shrieks brought her attention to a corner of the room where a small brunette faced off against a taller caramel blonde, "Were you going to tell me?"

The look on her mother's face was pure shock as she gasped out, "She's alive?" Kayla scrambled to her feet and threw her muscular arms around the tiny woman while tears streamed openly from her face, not unlike the real Kayla at that same moment.

"Whoa. Damn girl, you are strong." The little brunette chuckled, then seemed to remember herself, and turned to look straight at Sarah. Sarah had become accustomed to this particular brunette looking straight at her instead of through her like everyone else. "You're getting pretty good at this. But why don't you try using your power for something other than rifling through your parents' memories?"

Sarah didn't mean to pull herself out of the vision, but she found herself back on the floor of her living room anyway. She huffed and closed the book, looking up at her bawling mother, who still held the phone against her face like it was made of glass.

"Wha- what do you mean he's free? But- but-" Kayla whimpered as Tessa stared at Sarah with wide, discouraged brown eyes. Sarah pushed herself to her feet and managed to wrangle the phone out of Kayla's strong hands to hold it to her own face, wiping the tears off of it before addressing the man on the other side.

"Daddy?"

"Hey, Honey." Steve answered, his voice jumping up half an octave and Bucky snickered from the pilot's chair. "How are you doing?"

"I have magic powers." Sarah blurted, unsure if her mother had already covered that subject, but knowing Kayla, she hadn't. "I snuck into the attic with Morgan, I found your Captain America shield and I've been thrust back into your memories sixty-six times!"

Steve's cell slipped from his hand and hit the ground before he heard sixty-six times, crashing onto the metal floor. He stared at the wall for a brief moment, as his daughter's voice wafted through the phone, asking if he was still there. James bent down and scooped up the phone, gently placing it back in his dad's hand, "I think she's still talking to you."

"I, uh-" Steve stammered, remembering who he was talking to, "That's... great? No, not great, I mean, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad. I promise. What do you need us to do?" Sarah looked to her mom, who sat curled up on the couch with her head against Tessa, chewing on the side of her index finger thoughtfully. "Mom's... having a moment."

"Collect your things, have your mother grab anything she thinks we might need... have Morgan drive you all back to the lake house, but take the back roads. We'll be there before you are. I'll see you soon, Honey."

"You want to talk to Mom again?"

"Only if she can make coherent sentences."

"We'll see you in a few hours." Sarah hung up the phone and handed it over to Kayla, who looked up at her through soaked green eyes. Sarah rolled her eyes in response, "You need to pull it together. This sounds serious."

"He- he's gon- gonna kill- us." Kayla stammered out, hanging her head and letting out a low wail. "Everything- we gave up everything to defeat him, and he's still coming after us."

"Who?" Sarah pried, sitting on her knees in front of her mother as Kayla broke down, "Who's coming after us?"

Kayla blinked away her tears, but her entire chest shook with fear, "The Red Skull." Kayla looked at her daughter, seeing a determination in her that wasn't there before. Kayla lowered her head, staring at her daughter seriously, "Do you want to see him?"

Kayla offered her hand to her daughter, who took it quickly, without considering the consequences. The gold was brighter than it normally was as the color clouded Sarah's vision, whisking her away to another time and place, alone again. She clenched her eyes closed, hearing her mother gasp behind her. When Sarah opened her eyes, she came face to face with a terrifying, blood red wraith floating between her and her mother. The monster's eyes dropped lower before his mouth fell open into a sly grin.

"...and the daughter of Steven."

Sarah winced, covering her face as the Red Skull floated through her, trying to get closer to her mother. Sarah swung around, realizing her mother was crawling away on the ground, pregnant and terrified. She looked to the women behind her mother, seeing a glowing blonde and the redhead she and James had encountered at the funeral. They all stared at the Red Skull in fear. Sarah looked between the four, then lifted her hand slowly, "Perhaps we can... fast forward the memory." She moved her hand quickly to the left, and the world moved quickly past her until she saw her mother leaning over another woman Sarah hadn't noticed yet. Sarah's breath hitched when she saw the blood pooling from the redhead's skull, then looked up the side of the cliff they were standing beneath.

"Shit!"

Sarah turned back to her mother to see Kayla blasting the Red Skull, and him pulling the power away from her. Sarah's eyes glowed orange as she reached toward the stream of gold, but she looked at her mom as Kayla growled, "I'm stronger than you."

"I'll take care of that!" The Red Skull threatened, grabbing Kayla by the neck and throwing everything off of balance. The other women stopped trying to fight him, and he took the opportunity to knock the blonde's soul right from her body. "You think you're so powerful now, do you?" The Red Skull taunted as Sarah's mother slimmed before her eyes. After sucking out all her strength, Red Skull discarded her, and she gasped for air as she grabbed at her neck.

Sarah shook when Kayla reached for her stomach, finding it slim and weak. Kayla had fought the Red Skull while she was pregnant with her. Kayla snarled up at the monster as his skin began to cover his red form, but he just pressed his newly formed boot against Kayla's stomach. At the impact, Sarah fell, feeling the pressure on her own chest as her mother did.

"Go home to Captain America and show him what the Red Skull can do!" Sarah began to will herself away, wanting to leave this terrible nightmare before Red Skull crushed her windpipe. She looked up as he spoke again though, seeing him look at her as if she was in Kayla's place, "Tell him he's next. But not until he watches me take away everything and everyone he loves."

"NO!" Sarah screamed, clamping her eyes closed and her hands to her face. She allowed herself to shake nervously, knowing she wasn't in his sights anymore, but something felt off. She felt... wet. Sarah opened her eyes, seeing the whole world drenched in the golden hue that colored her powers. "Hello?" She yelled out, looking around to see herself in a void. Nothing and no one around, but she didn't feel alone. "Is someone there?"

"You're really getting the hang of this aren't you? Good. You'll need to understand your powers before you face him."

Sarah turned around, coming face to face with three women she'd never met, but knew very well. "You... I've seen you three before. I remember... You-" She pointed at Tiffany, "I see you in the memories a lot. You too sometimes." Sarah gestured to Natasha. She looked at the green woman standing between them in a black battle suit, "I don't understand any of this. But you three have always been there somehow."

"Not always." Natasha hummed, smiling sadly at the young woman in front of her, "You've grown so much. You were so tiny last time I saw you-"

"At least you lived long enough to see her." Tiffany slid Nat a taunting look, then turned back to Sarah, who had a look of terror on her face at the slim brunette's words, "Listen, we don't have a lot of time. You have to be ready to fight the Red Skull. You're the only one powerful enough to take him on."

"What?" Sarah snapped back, taking a step away from the women, "No... no I can't. My dad's Captain America, he can fight the Red Skull, I can't fight... that."

"It has to be you. Use the Soul Stone. It chose you.. Natasha directed, looking to her right to see Gamora and Tiffany begin to fade away. She turned back to Sarah and nodded, "Don't be afraid, everything that's happened, since the moment I jumped off that cliff, has lead to this. We'll see you again soon, Sarah..."

"No, wait!" Sarah lunged forward, but they were already gone. She fell forward, landing on her living room carpet with a thunk. She panted quickly as she threw her head back, looking up as Kayla and Morgan helped her to her feet. "No- no, no, no! I don't wanna do this! I _really_ don't wanna do this!"

"Do what Honey?" Kayla pressed, pulling Sarah to her chest in a tight hug, "You don't have to do anything. We'll protect you. Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

Sarah stared ahead blankly, unable to shake the prophecy she'd be given, especially knowing her family's survival somehow depended on her.


	92. Chapter 92

Steve put the quinjet down in a field several miles away from Tony's cabin. The sun was bright in the sky as he opened the back hatch, allowing Wanda, Bucky, and James to re-enter the real world.

"What do we do now?" James asked as Steve followed suit, staring in the direction they'd have to walk. He lifted his hand to block the sun from his eyes, then turned to his companions.

"We recuperate. And then we run. As soon as your mother and sister get here, we take off to find somewhere safe." Steve explained, but Bucky just huffed in frustration.

"If there is anywhere safe." He grumbled quietly, kicking over a dandelion and sending the white puffs floating a few feet. "We have to destroy Schmidt."

"We'll destroy Schmidt. Kay and Tess can take the kids somewhere safe. I don't want them anywhere near-"

"What?" James whined loudly as Steve growled and started making his way toward the house. James stormed after his father while Bucky and Wanda held back. "Dad, I can help. I'm a super soldier too, remember? I want a chance to prove I can be good... like you used to be."

Steve froze, turning his jaw just enough so his voice would carry over his shoulder, "I was a different man back then. I've got more to lose now, and I have to protect my family." Steve turned a little more to face his son fully, his eyes more fearful than James expected, "If you go, your mother will go. I can't let anything happen to you three, do you understand me? This isn't a game... Schmidt wants _me_ dead, but he won't give up the chance to hurt the people I love. Including you and your sister."

"But- what about you? If this- this Red Skull guy is as bad as you say he is, aren't you worried about yourself?" James pressed, but Steve continued his trek as Wanda and Bucky caught up to them.

"Of course I am." Steve mumbled quietly, not hiding the sad expression on his face, "I don't want to die. But your safety is more important than my own. Please don't be difficult. I know you aren't a huge fan of following directions."

"Sounds like somebody else I know..." Bucky teased, adding when Steve shot him a dirty look, "Oh, and somebody's wife." Steve ran his tongue across the front of his teeth beneath his lips, staring down Barnes as they walked. But he didn't disagree.

Steve squinted his eyes as Tony's cabin came into view. He spotted his old friend leaning against the wooden pillar of his deck, seemingly waiting for his company to arrive. "Morgan's breaking every traffic law between your place and mine- even still I don't expect them here for another hour." Tony clamped his hand into Steve's and pulled the man into a hug before nodding amicably to Barnes. He grinned at the redhead in the back, "Maximoff."

"Stark. You're alive. I shouldn't be surprised, but here I am." Wanda tilted her head curiously, "It was you in Norway, wasn't it?"

"Norway? I don't know what you're talking about." Tony retorted quickly, throwing out his arm to usher Wanda into his home. "You look pretty suited up, we should make sure the others are similarly prepared."

Steve groaned, turning his whole body to face Tony, "We aren't suiting up. We've got what we need. I just need to check on Kayla and Sarah and we'll be off."

Tony nodded thoughtfully, looking from Steve to Bucky, "You on board with this suicide mission? I thought you and the Mrs. were trying to, uh..."

"Drop it, Stark." Bucky growled, crossing his arms and leaning against the staircase, "We have to defeat Red Skull. Whatever the cost."

"Somebody else can pay it, Barnes, it doesn't always have to be Steve Rogers and his band of merry followers!" Tony rumbled toward Steve, but the man just stared at the fireplace thoughtfully. James had his jaw hung open in surprise, taking in the conversation with quiet wonder, which only made Tony groan, "I'm too old. I just buried my wife. I don't want to bury one of my only remaining friends."

Steve looked over his shoulder and smiled, "Is Tony Stark... worried about me?"

"Yes, Steve, I am worried about you, because you're a reckless shit who doesn't consider the consequences of your actions. Shit, after all these years, you're just so damn stubborn." Tony grumbled, grinding his teeth together as he stared back at Steve. His eyes wandered to James, studying the boy from head to toe, "So you know who Mom and Dad are? Pretty cool, right? You come at my daughter with Captain Jr. charm again, I will put a repulser blast through your chest. Because I... am Iron Man." Tony pushed his finger against James's strong chest, narrowing his eyes when he pressed against the strong muscle. James just gawked excitedly, thoroughly enjoying being threatened by Iron Man.

"This is the coolest day of my life." James wheezed as Tony turned away to pull up a hologram on his kitchen table, "Mr. Stark- sir, does- does Morgan know? About you, I mean?"

"Yup. She knows about me. About your parents too. Always has, but... let's just say she kept a lot of things from you. For security reasons." Tony answered coolly as he studied the screen, "FRIDAY, what's Morgan's ETA?"

"Approximately sixty-eight minutes, Boss." FRIDAY answered and James chuckled loudly as he looked at the ceiling.

"Perfect, just enough time to upgrade these losers. Who dressed you? Your dad?" Tony waved his finger up and down at James's ensemble and the boy just shrugged. Tony walked away before James could offer a real answer, pulling out a book from the bookcase and tapping in the code to open the secret basement door. James stared at the stairway that appeared beneath the stairs, looking to his father and uncle expectantly, but they were emotionless.

"Am I the only one who finds this cool?" James yelped as Tony led Steve and Wanda down the stairs to the basement. Bucky silently pointed to the stairs, and James sighed and dropped his shoulders, following his father into the unknown.

James looked around the secret lab in astonishment, eyes wide and jaw dropped as he studied all of Tony Stark's belongings. In the corner of the room, safe behind a glass case, was an Iron Man suit. "Oh my gosh- it's- Dad! Look at iiit!" James clenched his father's upper arm as he pointed to the metal suit, but Steve just snorted in response.

"Yes, I see it. I've seen it many times before. Tony, what exactly are we doing down here?" Steve droned, gently prying James's hands off his arm to let the teenager wander through the scientific wonderland.

Tony grinned, tapping away on a screen to his left, "FRIDAY, Project Reunion, please."

"Yes, Sir." FRIDAY's voice echoed and a wall slid open, revealing a rotating closet of Avenger uniforms. James slowly moved to the red, white, and blue uniform that hung in the front, a white star on the chest. James looked over his shoulder, seeing his father unimpressed with the outfit.

"Is this yours?" James questioned, gently pulling the top of the suit off the rack. He studied it, running his fingers along the rough material longingly.

"Well it sure isn't yours." Steve growled back, turning to Tony bitterly, "I don't need a suit."

"You looked like an idiot in Norway. Plus, the under layer is woven from vibranium, it's a lot safer than the vest he wears." Tony nodded toward Bucky. The former assassin bumped a blue button next to the closet, causing it to rotate and show off a similar suit for a woman. Bucky's eyes darted to Stark, but Tony just shook his head rapidly, silently pleading Bucky to not bring it up. Steve turned to see what Stark was looking at, but Bucky hit the button again, bringing a thick blue vest with the left arm missing and matching pants. "Your vest is made up of vibranium. Bullets hit you and bounce off you as easily as that shield." Tony turned to Steve with a piqued brow, "Which I see you have back? Issues with the replacement?"

"Enough Tony. No uniforms. No reunion. I just need you to get my family somewhere safe." Steve turned to see James studying the Captain America uniform wistfully and sighed, "I suppose I should change."

James looked up at his father hopefully, and Steve's heart broke at the realization that James had thought so little of him before. Steve's relationship with his son was rocky at best, and he knew what James said about him when he thought he couldn't hear. Conversations with his friends about his lame Dad, who he had thought was scared and boring. Steve remembered James playing with his Avengers toys as a child. He'd _idolized_ Captain America. He just never realized his idol was the one playing Avengers with him on the living room floor. Steve wondered what all those years would have looked like if James and Sarah knew the truth. He knew they wouldn't be in this situation now, that's for sure.

"I took the liberty of designing a little something for the kids, you know, just in case they get wrapped up in all your trouble." Tony called to Steve as he took the suit from James. James fist pumped the air happily, but Bucky just grit his teeth and pulled his own vest from the rack.

Steve turned to Tony, his fiery gaze practically burning a hole in the billionaire's head, "Absolutely not. Neither my son, nor my daughter, are going anywhere near Schmidt. Do I make myself clear?"

"You never let me do _anything_ fun!" James growled to Steve, "I'm Captain America's son, I think I should have a superhero costume, too."

"Costume? Did he just call it a costume?" Tony questioned Wanda and the woman just plopped down into a nearby chair, pressing her fist into her cheek as she mumbled something about a disaster.

Steve pulled the shield off his arm and slammed it on Tony's work table, causing James to jump back. "You think this is some sort of game? Some fun adventure? Pick it up, Kid. It's heavier than it looks." Steve stormed up the stairs. James flinched at the sound of his heavy footsteps, knowing he'd messed up. Again.

"Old Man never changes, does he?" Tony hummed as he pressed the blue button, spinning around the machine until Kayla's suit was in the front. Tony carefully removed it and handed it to Wanda. Bucky rolled his eyes and groaned, following Steve upstairs to get ready to go. Tony turned back to the closet and pulled out a much smaller black suit. "Your sister's is light, but its vibranium through and through. Morgan insisted if I made suits for the two of you that hers was the best protected. Yours is similar to your dad's, just missing the classic color scheme. That's reserved for Pops."

James nodded as Tony turned the racks again, revealing his own black suit. Tony smiled up at it hopefully, "The outer layer is made from nano tech. You can use the wristband to change the color and look if you want. It should help you guys blend in while in hiding."

James twisted his mouth thoughtfully, pulling down his own custom made Avenger's suit, "Yeah. Hiding."

Upstairs, Steve had locked himself in the guest bathroom to change. He pulled his shirt over his head and discarded it on the floor nearby. He turned on the sink and washed his hands, turning the water as cold as it could go, then splashing cold water on his face. He shook his head, sliding his fingers through his growing hair to slick it back. Steve clenched the edge of the sink, staring at his own reflection as he breathed deeply, watching his chest rise and fall. He saw flashes of battle, heard the echo of gunfire and screams. From the corner of his eye, Steve saw that blue suit, but he couldn't bring himself to put it on again. He just heard Schmidt's voice in his head, asking why he was so special.

_Nothing. I'm just a kid from Brooklyn._

Steve raised his head to take in his reflection again, then grabbed the suit to get dressed for the mission. He carefully pulled the vibranium undershirt over his head, then went to work changing into his thick blue pants. Steve actually smiled as he settled himself on the closed toilet to carefully buckle the heavy boots. He imagined Kayla doing it, kneeling before him and carefully working to get him dressed and undressed for every battle, every mission he went on throughout the years. No matter who they were fighting, or who they were running from, Kayla never left Steve's side. He frowned when he realized he'd have to leave her behind this time.

Steve heard a door creak downstairs, alerting him to someone either coming or going. He pulled the velvet curtain to the side to peek out the window, sighing when he saw Morgan's red convertible parked out front. He turned back to the bathroom mirror, studying his reflection. All he needed now was the outer piece of his top, and he'd be ready to go. He slowly pulled the thick outer skin over his arms until it just needed to be attached in the front. That was when somebody knocked on the bathroom door.

Steve paused as he reached the doorknob, unsure of what response he'd get from the person on the other side. He finally took a deep breath and twisted the knob, pulling it open to reveal his wife. When Kayla saw him, her knees buckled, and she wobbled, but Steve thrust his arms forward to hold her arms, "Hey, darling."

"Steve..." Kayla breathed, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She grabbed at the nape of his neck with one hand and clutched his cheek with the other as she buried her face into his chest. Steve rubbed her back until he heard soft crying emitting from the woman in his arms.

"Kay, everything's going to be okay-"

Kayla let out a noise somewhere between a growl and a groan, pushing against Steve's chest as she slammed the bathroom door closed, trapping them in the small space together, "No. No _Captain America_, it's not okay. What is all this? And the shield? You took the shield from Sam?"

"He gave it to me. I'd be full of bullet holes if he hadn't. He helped us get James out." Steve caressed Kayla's cheeks with his thumbs, wiping away the tears that still lingered. He studied her face knowingly, humming to himself until she tilted her head curiously. "You aren't normally so weepy. I think you're getting old, Mrs. Rogers."

Kayla's lip wobbled at that and she nodded, a small grin tugging at her lips. "Perhaps. But not as old as my husband. I don't want you to do this."

"I don't have a choice, Kay, if I don't kill him, he's going to kill me. And you. And the kids. You know I can't let that happen."

"I know." Kayla mumbled, leaning forward to press her forehead against Steve's, "I just hate that it happened. After everything we went through... I thought we were done with Schmidt."

"Well I'm the one who inadvertently released him, so he's my problem." Steve leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Kayla's lips, "Can you help me with the latches? It's been a while."

Kayla nodded and pulled away to look Steve up and down hungrily, "Yes it has. But between you and me, I'd rather help you take it back off-"

"Kay..." Steve growled teasingly as she nipped at his neck. He nuzzled his wife away, staring at her with lusty eyes, "I'm regretting not breaking this out earlier."

"Yeah." Kayla agreed, pulling away and clicking together the fabric of his suit, "Me too." Steve grabbed Kayla's hips and pulled her against him, crashing his lips into hers as his hands flew to her ass. He hiked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, clawing at his hair as she plunged her tongue into his mouth.

A quiet knock accompanied a quiet, "Hey, Dad? You in there?"

"Shit!" Kayla hissed as Steve let go of her legs and she slid her feet to the ground, wiping her mouth quickly to look more presentable as Steve swung open the door.

"Hey, Sweetie! How are you?" Steve cooed at his teenage daughter, who leaned a little to the side and saw her mother smoothing down her hair. Kayla fluffed her shoulder length hair before turning to her daughter with a beaming smile. Sarah looked from her mother to father, a knowing smirk dancing on her lips that made Steve blush, "I'm getting ready to go, is there something I can help you with?"

"I kinda just wanted to see you. Say hi. You know, since you're Captain America now apparently and I have the power of... what's it called again?" Sarah asked her mother and Kayla cleared her throat, pounding her chest with her fist.

"Soul Stone. She has the power of the Soul Stone. Apparently." Kayla choked out and Steve shot her a stunned glare. Kayla just shrugged, her jaw hanging open as she tried to come up with an excuse.

"Yeah, so, just wanted to check in... but, I'll let you two get back to... whatever it is you were doing." Sarah motioned all over Steve's body and he turned redder than a tomato as Kayla snorted behind him. Steve quietly closed the door, unable to even come up with a decent comeback.

He turned to his wife, who sat on the toilet lid with her fist to her mouth, trying not to laugh, "You didn't think to tell me that our daughter has magic powers from an Infinity Stone?"

"It's what I came here to do. Honest. Scouts honor." Kayla raised three fingers and stuck her lip out in a joking pout, "I just got... distracted, Captain." She sighed, leaning back as she pushed her hands against her thighs, "I guess I'll just have to submit myself for disciplinary action."

"Don't do that." Steve deadpanned, shifting his legs uncomfortably as Kayla tossed him his cowl, "We don't have time for that."


	93. Chapter 93

Unsurprisingly, Steve made time for Kayla.

An hour later, Steve meandered down the stairs to rejoin the group, dressed in his uniform with his hair combed back by Kayla's fingers. He held his cowl in his right hand, and his wife's hand in his left. When he reached the bottom of the stairs though, he felt hesitation from the woman next to him.

Steve tilted his head to get a better look at Kayla. She looked down, "I don't want you to go."

"I don't want to go, but it has to be done." Steve replied, lifting Kayla's chin to kiss her lips softly. He lingered a moment too long, not pulling away until Tony coughed loudly behind them. Steve grunted when Kayla separated from him, rubbing his freshly shaved skin with her soft fingers. Steve looked around, noticing his right hand man was missing, "Where's Buck?"

"Being more subtle than you." Morgan growled under her breath as she shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. James laughed at her joke and slung his arm over her shoulder, then pretended not to be offended when Tony physically lifted it off his daughter and weaseled his way in between them.

Steve gave a firm nod, saying nothing more about the matter as Kayla pat his torso fondly. "Alright then. James," his son's head snapped up at his commanding tone, "- you have something of mine?"

Kayla grinned up at Steve as James stepped away from Tony and Morgan, bending down to grab the Captain America shield from where it laid beside the table. James ran his fingers across the smooth metal fondly before handing it over, "You're right. It is heavier than it looks. I'm sorry I never realized you were the one who had to carry it."

The corner of Steve's mouth twitched, wanting to smile but keeping his stoic demeanor in place. He knew if he broke, he wouldn't leave- his resolve to fight had worn away now that his son finally looked at him like he was proud. Steve cleared his throat and lifted his head, looking down his nose at James, "Let's go have a chat, shall we?"

James blanched a bit at his words, suddenly feeling like his dad was a stranger. A very important, very powerful stranger. James nodded and followed Steve out to the porch to talk alone.

Kayla wrapped her arms around her small daughter, resting her head on Sarah's shoulder lovingly as she watched her husband and son go. Sarah hummed, practically feeling the pride emanating from her mother's soul. She latched onto Kayla's hands that held her stomach, humming a bit as she stared through the large windows to where Steve and James had sat down, "Wonder what they want to talk about?"

Sarah felt her mother shrug, letting out a quiet sigh, "Your father is so dramatic." She paused, and Sarah could easily picture her mother's expression. She knew Kayla was grinning like a lovesick fool, "All the damn time."

Steve groaned a little as he leaned against the wooden back of his chair, crossing his ankle over his knee to relax. James, on the other hand, sat stiffly across from Steve as he waited to hear what his dad wanted to talk to him about. He swallowed, smiling weakly and causing Steve to laugh loudly, "Hi. I'm Steve Rogers. Your father. I changed your diapers."

James chuckled and lowered his head, letting his shaggy blonde hair fall over his face before his eyes lifted to meet Steve's, "You're like an action figure come to life. I wasn't even sure you were real, let alone my dad. And now my baby sister has super powers or something and- and I have a hundred year old serum running through my veins. It's just a lot."

"I know. We knew it would be, but aren't you glad we waited to tell you? Aren't you glad you got to live a real life all this time?" Steve pressed, uncrossing his leg to lean forward toward James. The younger Rogers smiled weakly, pushing back his hair to consider it.

"I guess," he said quietly, "but that doesn't make it any easier. Everything I've ever known was a lie. I feel like I can't get my old life back."

Steve matched his sad smile, placing his hand on his son's knee encouragingly. James ground his teeth back and forth, letting it sink in that he could never go back to who he was yesterday. There was no more yesterday, only today and tomorrow, and those days looked a lot more bleak. "James, I need you to do something for me. It's very important."

James brought his focus back to Steve, nodding slowly to let him know he could continue. Steve pulled his gloved hand away from James's knee, clamping his hands to his thighs to ground himself. Steve was nervous about breaching the subject, but he had to talk about it with somebody, and Kayla was out of the question. "James... I might not come back from this. You understand that, right?" James didn't move. He didn't nod or respond, but the vacant look in his eyes told Steve he had his boy's attention, so he continued, "Your mother won't hear it, but I need you to be prepared for the worst. And the worst is that Schmidt kills me, and then comes after you, your mother, and your sister. I can't let anything happen to you three."

"What do you want me to do?" James croaked, feeling the weight of his father's request building on his shoulders.

"Whatever it takes. If I don't come back, you look after your mom and sister. It's a lot to ask of you, but I'm not worried. You're gonna be just fine." Steve leaned forward and ruffled James's hair, causing the boy to snort and pull it back down. "I love you so much. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. I do." James answered easily, but didn't return the sentiment, "I promise I'll take care of Mom and Sarah, if anything happens to you. Which it won't. Because you're Captain America. You've made it this far." James laughed, showing off his brilliant smile, "You're what? Eighty years old?"

"One-hundred and twenty three, but thank you, I appreciate that." Steve teased, pushing himself to his feet with a weary grunt. "And I feel it too. But your mom keeps me young."

"Yeah, we know." James moaned as he rolled his eyes and stood, earning a pointed glance from his dad. "Is that your secret to eternal youth? Ba-"

"Please don't finish that sentence, I'm not having this conversation with you. Have it with your mother." Steve moved past his son to head back into the cabin, "You keep her safe. No matter what happens. She's not gonna like it, but I'm counting on you. You and your sister have to take care of my best girl."

"I swear on my life nothing will happen to Mom." James promised, following his father to the door. He looked down at his feet, shuffling them against the wooden boards. "I have something dumb to ask."

"Yeah? Anything." Steve answered, dropping his hand from the door to face his son fully. James snorted when the smile he received was more diplomatic, more rehearsed than anything he'd ever seen on his father's face, and he wondered for a moment if Captain America was a fully different personality to the man who raised him.

"Before you go, can I get a picture?" James chuckled, trying hard not to laugh, but the request seemed nonsensical after such a dire conversation. Steve's facade cracked, and he looked almost honored at the request, which made James squirm even more, "Please don't be weird about it."

"Oh, I'm gonna be weird about it. Gonna pose and everything."

"Please don't, I regret it. I don't want it anymore. Go, get out of here, Captain America." James teased as Steve swung open the door and gestured for his son to enter first. It took approximately twenty seconds for Kayla to detach herself from Sarah and latch onto Steve Rogers like a needy leech, pressing her lips to his jaw fondly as he grinned like an idiot. James found his spot next to Morgan and snaked his arm around her waist, but Tony appeared behind him and zapped him in the spine. "Ouch!" James yelped as he pulled away, pretending not to notice the way Morgan smirked at him coyly.

"You touch my daughter again, I'll paralyze you. Do I make myself clear?" Tony practically yelled at James, but he just grimaced and backed away slowly.

"Crystal." James slunk away to stand next to his sister, who giggled quietly when he knocked into her. "Dad's taking photos, you want in?"

"Oh my gosh, yes! Are you kidding me?" Sarah laughed and practically floated to Steve, so light on her feet she didn't make a sound. She wedged herself between his right arm and his side, looking up at him with all the adoration in the world. He rubbed her arm fondly as she wrapped her arms against his middle, so small against his large frame and heavy clothing.

James rolled his eyes to show his annoyance, then sidled up to his father's left. "Oh," Steve added, reaching his left arm behind his back and detaching his shield to hand it to James, "Makes for better photo ops."

"I hate you so much right now." James teased as he held the shield, looking at Morgan as she stood in front of Kayla to take the picture. The three beamed as she snapped several photos, then she turned to Kayla to see if the woman wanted to get in.

"No." Kayla answered quietly, "I'm okay. This is his moment. He's waited a long time for this." Kayla turned to Tessa and Bucky, who had recently appeared on the steps behind her, "He's ready to go. Bring him back to me."

Bucky groaned loudly and turned to Kayla, lowering his voice, but not losing its intensity, "He'll bring himself home. I'm done trying to save his reckless ass. I have my own wife to come home to."

Kayla shivered, wrapping her arms around herself as Bucky walked away to talk to Steve now that the kids had fallen away to look at Morgan's photos. Tessa lingered next to Kayla, wanting to defend her husband, "He's scared, Kay. Don't take it personally."

"He's the levelheaded one of the two. Steve's reckless, and he feels the weight of every mistake he's ever made in the past hundred years, so he's not planning on coming back." Kayla pushed her hair behind her ear, stiffening her jaw as she added through clenched teeth and fake smile, "I married a martyr."

"And I married an assassin, but we both knew that when we got into this mess. This isn't Bucky's problem, it's Steve's, and there's nothing we can do to help them except pray for the best." Tessa told her taller best friend, but Kayla's eyes were trained on the soldiers in front of her, "Kay?"

"I heard you. I know." Kayla mumbled, crossing her arms as Steve and Bucky said their goodbyes. Kayla turned to Wanda, who had stayed silent throughout the discussions, "You going with?"

"Bucky asked me to stay behind with you. He doesn't think Tessa can keep you from doing something stupid."

"I resent that." Tessa barked up at the Scarlet Witch, then mouthed, 'Nobody can' to Wanda when Kayla's head was turned.

Kayla nodded, taking in a deep breath, "Alright then."

Tessa left Kayla's side, running and jumping into Bucky's arms as he hoisted her off the ground, burying his face into her neck as she clung to him. Kayla watched them sadly, knowing that Bucky needed to come back for Tessa. He was all she had. Sarah and James waited patiently to say goodbye to their father, but Kayla hung back, trying to borrow as much time as she could. She memorized the scene, saving it away for a rainy day. The sight of her children gawking up at Steve Rogers, her Captain America, like he was everything Kayla always saw. The part of it all that destroyed Kayla was knowing that she'd never see that regular man again, the one who doodled and cuddled up to her when she got cold. The man who taught their daughter how to walk with more patience than Kayla could ever muster, and who never, _ever _missed his son's games, despite preferring baseball to anything he allowed his son to play. Kayla had missed Steve Rogers, but she knew Steve Carter was dead. The life they'd created was dead, and when Steve came back they'd have to run and hide again.

She was sad to see it all go.

"Kay?"

Kayla's head snapped up at her name, realizing everyone was looking at her. She didn't know how long she'd been zoned out, but clearly they were waiting for her to do something-

_Oh. It's time._

Kayla swept out of the cabin between Steve and Bucky, trotting down the steps loudly to stand at the bottom with her arms crossed. Tessa looked up to Bucky, going up on her tiptoes to press one last kiss to his jaw. "Be safe. I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Doll. I'll be back soon. Be safe." Bucky answered, leaning over to press a proper kiss to his wife's lips, then looked over his shoulder at Steve, "You gonna go deal with that?" Bucky motioned toward Kayla and Steve groaned, nodding his head as he stared at Kayla's back.

"Yeah. I'll talk to her."

As Steve and Bucky left, James, Sarah, and Tessa leaned against the window, watching as Steve approached Kayla to say goodbye. "This is going to be a disaster." Sarah grumbled as Steve wrapped his arm around Kayla's waist, pulling her to his chest. Sarah's eyes glowed gold for a moment, then settled to their natural blue, "She's going to lose it."

Steve tightened his grip on Kayla as she pressed her forehead to his chest. He stroked the back of her head, thankful his gloves were fingerless, so he could tangle his hands in her hair. So he could feel Kayla beneath his fingertips. He pressed a firm kiss to the crown of her head, but Kayla felt him quiver. She sighed heavily and pulled away to look up at Steve, "I know."

"I love you." Steve argued, knowing his wife was resigned to his self-sacrificing tendencies. "I'll be back soon, Kay. You know I will."

"It doesn't make it any easier. Schmidt won't be an easy target, especially if he still has powers from the stone... like your daughter." Kayla reminded and Steve lowered his hands to Kayla's hips, squeezing them to pacify her as she stroked his cheeks, "I made this mess-"

"You set him free from Vormir. I set him free from the compound. We're even. Buck will put a bullet in his brain and I won't lift a finger."

"You know it won't be that easy, but we can dream." Kayla chuckled, her mouth twisting into a soft smile, "I love you, Steve."

"And I love you. I always have, and I always will." Steve ducked down and pressed his lips to Kayla's, humming as she grabbed the back of his hair and pulled him down to her. He pulled away and winked, "I'll see you tomorrow night."

"It's a date." Kayla called, backing away as Steve took off jogging after Bucky, who'd gotten quite a lead on him back to the quinjet. Kayla turned back to the cabin, seeing everyone scuttle away from the windows, pretending not to have been snooping. She smirked, looking down as her hair fell around her face. Steve always made it back. This time wouldn't be any different.


	94. Chapter 94

"Dad? Someone's coming." Morgan called nervously from the computer she was typing away at. She looked at the security camera as a black SUV parked in front of her cabin, looking up when she felt Tony come to stand behind her, "It looks like SHIELD."

Tony cursed under his breath and turned to Kayla, who chewed on her index finger anxiously, eyes narrowed on the screens, "She looks in pretty good shape, considering Red Skull's escape. He no doubt laid ruin to the base upon his departure."

"What are you saying Rogers?" Tony quipped, pulling off his glasses to rub his eyes.

Morgan stood to answer the door, moments away from being knocked on, but waited to hear Kayla's answer first. Kayla looked to Wanda with pursed lips, considering her accusation carefully before putting it into words, "I'm saying be careful, that's all. It might not be Maria Hill."

Tony turned to his daughter, but she was already moving up the stairs. James's eyes followed her as she retreated, but Sarah turned to her father, "I can accompany her. Director Hill doesn't know me. I can get a read on her-"

"Perhaps. I tried at the compound, but I couldn't get inside her head. There was so much going on, I didn't put much thought into it." Wanda's eyes glowed red as she bared her teeth, "Perhaps I should have."

James grabbed Sarah's arm as she started up the stairs, "Just... be careful. If you need anything, I'll be right there." Sarah nodded and he released her to follow Morgan, then Tony closed the stairs. James swallowed down his nerves and turned to the adults, "They'll be okay, right?"

"Depends on who's at the door." Kayla growled, looking over her shoulder to the security camera. Her eyes darted up to Tony curiously, "Your daughter has a suit, yes?"

Tony looked to Kayla and grinned slyly, not saying a word. Kayla then turned her attention to Tessa, who was sitting on the floor against the wall, scratching Zawadi behind the ears to keep him calm. The dog whimpered loudly after Sarah left, but trying to comfort Zawadi helped ease Tessa's own nerves. Kayla knelt down beside her friend, scratching her dog's snout as she cooed, "It's okay, handsome, she's going to be fine. I know. Daddy's gone. We're stuck down here, but just for a little while. Then we'll go for another car ride." Tessa offered up a hopeful smile to James as he wondered up behind his mom, but he wasn't put at ease either. Kayla didn't look up, but as she pressed a kiss to Zawadi's head she hummed, "There's a ladder down the hall past the restroom. Leads up to the wine cellar. The wine cellar will lead to the backyard."

James nodded and snuck away quietly, grasping his mother's directions to help his sister.

Morgan flung open the door and greeted Maria Hill warmly, although her surprise was palpable. She didn't usually get visitors, and didn't enjoy getting visitors when she was alone.

"May I come in, Miss Stark?" Maria asked sweetly and Morgan nodded, humming an affirmative sound as she gestured into the cabin. Maria looked around curiously, taking in all the nick knacks and photos on her shelves. "Lovely home you have Morgan. I remember being here for your father's funeral."

"That's great." Morgan deadpanned, crossing her arms and tilting her head as Sarah sidled up next to her, "This is my friend Sarah. She's staying with me for the weekend. I didn't want to be alone."

"No, I would guess not." Maria hummed as she turned back to Morgan, taking her in, "That's why I came here actually. I was wondering if you've had any other visitors?"

"Not since Mom's funeral on Thursday, no. It's been pretty quiet. I stayed with Sarah last night, then we drove up early this morning. Not a lot of room for cars in the drive." Morgan narrowed her eyes and smiled diplomatically, staring down her visitor, "Nobody else has been here."

Behind Sarah's back, she waved her hand, trying to get a read on Director Hill, but everything came up fuzzy. And a little bit green. Sarah looked to Morgan and exchanged a nervous glance, and Sarah's nerves registered with Morgan more clearly than she would have liked. "Is that all you came out for? I don't mean to be rude, we were just going to sit down and watch a movie-"

"We had a break in at Avengers Compound last night. Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes were able to abduct one of our prisoners, and free another. We have reason to believe he may try to contact you."

Morgan's brows raised and she looked down at Sarah with a shrug, "Nobody's come. Who was broken out?"

"He goes by James Carter. We have reason to believe he's Captain Rogers's son, and that he's rather fond of you." Maria took a step closer to Morgan and the brunette took a step back, leaning all her weight onto her right heel. "Have you heard from him?"

"No. That's not possible, I know James. He was just here on Thursday for Mom's funeral. I haven't heard from him since then, and I'm sure he's not a super soldier-"

"How can you be so sure?" Maria leaned toward Morgan, then cranked her head to the left to look out the window. She smiled wickedly, then grabbed Morgan and threw her against the staircase. Sarah ran to her friend's side, unsure what had gotten Hill's attention.

Morgan groaned as she sat up, massaging her tailbone as she panted, "We have to get out of here. That's not Maria Hill."

"Oh no? How do you know that?" The brunette turned around, but her face was different, sharper, her eyes a brilliant green. She smiled wickedly, dropped her hand to her side and causing her SHIELD uniform to melt away into a green dress with a slit that showed off her thigh-high boots. "Oh... you are a clever girl, aren't you? There's something- special about you." The woman took a step closer and Morgan shoved Sarah behind her, causing the woman in green to laugh boisterously, "Oh, isn't that sweet, protecting your little friend? What can a mortal do against the Enchantress?" She drew out the s sound, hissing like a snake as she stalked the girls.

Without a word, Morgan threw her arm out to the side, glaring up at the Enchantress with hate-filled eyes. The woman was clearly unimpressed by Morgan's efforts. "Oh goodie. I can't wait to see what you have in store for me."

Morgan clenched her teeth as Amora wound up her hand, already glowing with green fire, but as she prepared for impact, the gauntlet broke through the living room window and attached to Morgan's left hand. She turned it to the Enchantress and shot up at her, sending her flying into the ceiling. "Sarah, run!" Morgan screamed as she scrambled to her feet, preparing to fire again as Amora crashed back into the dining room table. Sarah ran toward the front door, unsure if the rest of her family could get out. She looked back to see Amora lunge at Morgan, and the girl shot again, but this time the Enchantress was prepared and took the repulser blasts in stride, causing Morgan to reach out her other hand in panic. Morgan's eyes met Sarah's and she yelled again, "Get out of here!"

Enchantress turned to Sarah, snarling when she realized the girl was getting away. Sarah slowly backed away as Enchantress strut toward her, focusing her power on the younger woman. Sarah raised her hands, breathing heavily as she tried to imagine herself firing at the witch, but she didn't get the chance. The rest of Morgan's purple armor crashed through the windows, sending glass shattering around Sarah as she ducked for cover. Amora cried out as the glass pierced her pale skin, turning on the iron-clad woman who now floated above her. "Leave my friend alone." Morgan growled through the suit, double blasting Amora to the ground as Sarah darted outside.

A firm hand grabbed Sarah's arm and she shrieked, snagging the Enchantress's attention, but Morgan grabbed it back by sending her metal fist into the witch's pretty face. Amora's jaw dropped in shock, reaching up to massage her cheek before she turned to the young Stark, "You're going to pay for that."

"You'll have to catch me first!" Morgan called as she blasted upward through the ceiling, and Amora clenched her fists, her magic flowing through her boots and causing her to rise after Morgan.

Outside, Sarah felt a strong hand cover her mouth as she tried to scream, but a familiar voice shushed her quickly, "Shhh, Sarah, it's me. We gotta get out of here." James hissed as he released his sister and she swung around to look at him.

"You think?!" He released a frustrated groan, then looked his sister up and down, yanking down the zipper of her sweatshirt. "Hey! What are you trying to do?" She shrieked quietly as she slapped her brother's hand away.

"Just making sure you've got on your suit. I promised Dad I'd take care of you and Mom." James looked over his shoulder to the wine cellar, "I've got to go back for them and make sure they all get out alright. Get in the car and stay low. Don't make a sound, no matter what happens alright?"

"James- what are you-" Before Sarah could ask what her brother had planned, he reached his fingers under the trunk and pulled it open to toss his sister inside. "What the-" He slammed the trunk closed, locking his sister in safely so he could double back for his mom.

Amora threw out her arms to the sides, thrusting her magic up through the roots of the trees and bringing them to life. "If Iron Man's daughter gets crushed by an army of trees in the woods, is there anybody left in her life to hear her scream?" The Enchantress taunted as she clapped her hands quickly, dropping toward the ground as several large trees ripped their roots from the ground and began to reach toward Morgan. The young girl shot upward, then dove toward the lake and cut back around, trying to blast the trees away from her home, barely dodging the branches that tried to swat her like a fly.

Amora, now on the ground with hand at her side glowing, strode toward the back of the cabin, trying to figure out where the boy had gone, "Come out, come out wherever you are... don't you wanna play?"

James gently closed the doors to the wine cellar, then jumped down the hole instead of using the ladder, landing on his feet easily. He wobbled a bit, knowing his knees should have buckled out from under him, but he felt just fine. He listened carefully, hearing the taunting woman outside the wine cellar calling him. Knowing she was getting close, James took off in a sprint toward the security room, skidding to a stop when he came face to face with everyone. He took a deep breath, allowing his chest to fill fully with air before breathing out, "She's coming."

Kayla looked to Tony sadly, but he just stared at the security cameras outside his cabin, seeing his home fall apart as the living trees tried to kill his daughter. "Tony, we have to go. That includes you."

He looked up, studying all their somber faces, then eventually fell on James, "What the hell are you doing here? Go save my daughter!" James straightened up, grinning before jumping back a few steps. "No," Tony opened up the staircase leading into the house, "Get her from behind. Use this to keep contact." Tony tossed James a small black circle, then pointed toward his ear to instruct the young man to install his earpiece. Kayla breathed out nervously through her lips as James looked to her for direction, nodding to give him the go ahead.

"You all get to the car- Sarah's already there. I'll hold her off with Morgan!" James called as he charged up the stairs. Tony flinched when he heard the sound of breaking glass, looking to a monitor to see James decided to forgo the door and smash through the window instead, drawing the Enchantress's attention away from the back of the cabin. Tony grumbled loudly and hit a button, closing the staircase again.

After a moment, Tony met Kayla's glance and smacked his lips together, "Your kid says get to the car. You guys think you can get it out of here in one piece?" Tony questioned as he tossed several comms onto the desk beside him. Kayla looked to Tessa and Wanda, earning a tentative nod from the former and a shrug from the latter.

"I'll help them hold her off. I want a rematch. She took me out of the game early last time." Wanda snarled as she grabbed a comm for her ear, then pushed her hands to the ground, causing her to hover.

Kayla turned to Stark, eyebrow raised, "And what will you do?"

"I'll hold down the fort. Get your son and get out of here, we'll take care of the rest and meet you in midtown."

Kayla took a deep breath and nodded, turning to Tessa anxiously as she handed her friend the comm dot, "You ready to run?"

"Am I ever?" Tessa retorted, following Kayla's lead as she placed the dot in her ear. Kayla did the same, then clicked her tongue to get Zawadi to follow her down the hallway toward the wine cellar.

With Tessa and Kayla heading toward the wine cellar, Tony reopened the staircase in the dining room for Wanda, "You help Morgan. Keep the Enchantress near the house. I'll wait here till the last minute. Any questions?"

"I'm not a child anymore, Stark." Wanda purred, thrusting her powers to float up into the kitchen, slowly slinking toward the front door to aid her young companions. Alone, Stark turned to his screens, then tapped on a thin microphone on his desk.

"Anybody copy?"

James was shaking in his newly broken in boots, looking up defiantly as Amora the Enchantress had him in her sights. "Yeah... she's locked on me."

"James? Hang on!" Morgan yelled, swooping down and knocking Amora off her feet before sliding through the grass on her knee, hands aimed at the woman. She turned to James quickly, "Get out of here! Go help your family!"

"What about you?" James screamed back as Amora stood, teeth bared in an animalistic glare at the girl. James took a step toward Morgan, but she threw her hand to the side, blaster aimed at her friend. "Don't do this."

Morgan sighed inside her helmet, wishing James could see how hard it was for her to push him away, but she had to save him, "Please. You have to get away."

Amora began to step toward Morgan, the ground shaking violently with every step until one of the trees swatted the distracted girl away into the lake. "Morgan!" James cried out, but Amora reached out and grabbed him with her magic, holding James above the ground as she studied him.

"Wow, you look just like Daddy, don't you? I'm so sad you broke out of SHIELD before I had a chance to really see what you're made of, but because of you, the Skull is now free, and our plan can be reborn. The world for him, the universe for me." James struggled in her grip, snarling at her as she approached, finally close enough to grab his sturdy jaw. She stuck out her lower lip and tilted her head, baby talking the man as she stared at him with green doe eyes, "And worst case... if we can't succeed. If we fail, _again_, I'll get to destroy your family. I'll kill you, and your sister, and your father. And then, once I've destroyed everything your mother has ever loved, I'll rip out her heart."

James kicked hard against the Enchantress, and she flinched a bit as she released his jaw. She smiled sweetly at the boy, clenching her fist and tightening her grip around him as he yelled. Suddenly though, she was knocked off her feet by a blast of magic and James fell to the ground, looking up to see Wanda floating above the ground near the entrance of the cabin, eyes ablaze and red wisps washing over her like a wave, "Leave him alone."

Amora snorted as she pushed herself to her feet, smile growing when she remembered who the woman was, "You're special... juuust like the little blonde girl- speaking of which?" Amora turned to look around, realizing she hadn't seen Sarah in a while, but when she turned, a firm fist connected to her jaw.

"Mom!" James yelped and scrambled to his feet to stand behind her, but he studied her appearance for a moment in surprise. Her suit was dark blue with red trim and her red boots stopped just below her knee, a chunky heel giving her an extra two inches to lean onto while she fought. She positioned herself in a fighting stance, one foot in front of the other with her fingers clenched into fists in front of her chest.

She didn't turn to her son, but her directions were clearly directed at him, "Get out of here. We aren't letting her get that close again. Get your sister and Tess out of here, do you understand me?"

"I'm not leaving you." James growled back as Amora struck out at Kayla, but she expertly blocked the hit, responding with a kick to the ribs while Wanda blasted her with her magic. Kayla looked up at James with a stern scowl and he deflated, "Fine, I'll go start the car."

"James! There's a plastic cover beneath the gear shift. Lift it and hit the red button once everyone's inside! We'll buy you some time!" Morgan landed on the other side of Amora, effectively blocking her escape from Kayla and Wanda. The Enchantress looked around, trying to figure out who she wanted to take out first, eyes landing on Morgan as the weakest threat. Morgan rolled her eyes, "Damn it." She took off into the sky, but Amora reached out, creating an extension of her hand to grab onto Morgan and smash her into the ground.

"No!" Tony stood from his desk, holding onto his forehead as he stared at the screen. "Get up! Morgan get up!"

James slid to a stop at Tony's cries, turning around to see Morgan lying on the ground, not moving. "No." He whispered, then darted back, causing his mother to groan loudly and dodge out of the way as Amora's magical fist smashed the ground.

Meanwhile, Sarah smacked her fist against the roof of Morgan's trunk, yelling to anyone close enough to hear. "What is happening out there? Let me out! I can't breath!" She wheezed as she smacked the trunk again, trying to take a deep breath as she began to have an asthma attack. "This can't be happening. This can't be happening. James!" She slammed her eyes closed, focusing on her breathing, and wherever her brother was.

Suddenly she opened her eyes to find herself running. "What?" Sarah looked down, feeling something very wrong. "Oh, shit!"

"Language!" Kayla snapped back, pointing at James accusingly as she pulled back on Amora's hair before being flung into the grass five yards away.

Sarah shook her head, blinking rapidly as she found herself back in the trunk. "What just happened?" She panted, running her hands over her stomach to her legs to find herself in her own body... locked away in a trunk... while her friends and family fought an evil sorceress. She blew air out through her mouth slowly as she heard a pained scream that sounded an awful lot like her mother from the outside world. She closed her eyes and focused again, imagining she was seeing what her brother was seeing.

Sarah looked down to find Morgan in her arms, then looked up to see Kayla being pulled into the Earth by several tree roots, screaming out painfully. "Mom!" Sarah- James- dropped Morgan and charged toward Kayla, knocking her over at impressive speed and the roots let go. As Kayla tried to catch her breath, Sarah began digging her feet out, easily removing her from the ground.

"Honey-" Kayla coughed, and Sarah wondered if she should explain what was happening to her and James, "Let's agree to back out of this fight gracefully, together."

Sarah's concentration broke at her mother's words, and she was back in the truck, kicking the inside of the car painfully. "Ow! That hurts!" She whined as she held onto her leg, wondering if her brother was inhabiting her body while her soul was invading his. "James! Mom! Anybody!"

Tessa looked behind her from the place she was hiding in the backseat of the convertible, holding down a very squirmy Zawadi who desperately wanted to get out and help his mom. She pulled down the cup holder flap, revealing a small door with a twist latch. Tessa quickly undid it and pulled it down, allowing Sarah to take a fresh breath of air. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't know who was in the trunk!"

"It's fine- what's happening?" Sarah asked, trying to get a better look, but the car was too low. "I have to help-"

"No, we have to leave- why are you in the trunk?" Kayla snapped as she hopped into the driver's seat, head snapping up to look where she came from, "Where's your brother now? Why can't he focus like his father?"

"Because he's too distracted by love like _his mother_!" Tess yelled from the backseat as Wanda blasted Amora back into the lake, buying them a little time. Tessa peeked up over the back of the car, "We have to go! Drive!"

Kayla turned the key and smashed her foot into the gas pedal as the car roared to life loudly, spinning its wheels as she drove over to the cabin. She slammed on the breaks next to her son, "James, get your ass in this car _now_!"

Wanda jumped into the backseat with Tess and pulled Zawadi over a little to make room for Tessa to sit. James just looked up sadly and shook his head. Kayla screamed back, "If you don't get in this car, I'll drag your sorry ass body, and if you think I won't, you're sorely mistaken."

"You're not strong enough!" James taunted, holding onto Morgan as she started to move a little. "I'm not leaving her!"

Kayla clenched her teeth and looked over her shoulder to Tessa, "Get my bag-"

"What's in the bag?" Tessa cried out, noticing the Enchantress blasting out of the water, "Kayla, we don't have time for this!"

Sarah closed her eyes, focusing on her stubborn brother with all her power, "James." She opened her eyes, looking down to find herself in James's body. "Yes!" She punched the air with her fist, then looked to the car. "Mom, get in the back!" Kayla balked at the order and Sarah rolled her eyes, hearing her own voice start to scream from the trunk, "Please, just do it, I have a plan."

Kayla let out a low scream and climbed into the backseat, plopping between Tessa and Wanda and pulling Zawadi into her lap. The dog began to bark wildly as the Enchantress got closer, only a hundred feet away now, "Whatever you're planning, you better do it quick!"

Sarah, as James, wrapped her hands under the metal suit and pushed herself to her knees, groaning loudly as she used all her brother's strength to lift the metal suit. She deposited Morgan into the passenger seat, then quickly scrambled over the suit into the driver's seat, looking around before yanking the gear shift into drive and slamming her foot on the break.

Morgan moaned a little, her helmet flipping back to reveal her face as she began to stir. She blinked, aware of the massive dog barking wildly behind her, "James- hit the button under the gear shift-"

Sarah realized Morgan was talking to her, and quickly followed direction, flipping open the case to hit the button, and the wheels instantly flipped and repulsers shot from the sides, taking them into the air at warp speed. Morgan lazily moved her hand to the console and hit a button, causing the roof to come over them as they soared higher into the sky and away from the Enchantress.

"NO!" Amora screeched when she reached the cabin, finding it empty. "NO NO NO!" Suddenly, she turned, feeling something wrong, but the cabin exploded behind her as Iron Man shot into the sky toward the flying car.


	95. Chapter 95

"Oh my gosh. I can't believe I did that. I- oh my gosh, that was amazing!" Sarah, still inhabiting James, yelled triumphantly as they cruised through the sky. She looked to her right and saw Iron Man soaring next to them, giving her a salute as she waved awkwardly back.

"You saved my life." Morgan wheezed as she retracted her nano suit into her wristband. "How can I ever repay you?"

Sarah turned to her, realizing her face was very close, then heard her own voice screaming from the trunk, "Uh, ha, gimme a minute-" Sarah closed her eyes and focused, centering her mind and bringing herself back home. When she opened her eyes, she was back in the trunk, and she felt the car take a severe dip in altitude, "James!"

"What... just... happened?" James panted in terror, looking around and seeing Morgan appalled by his odd behavior, "You didn't just kiss me did you? Because if you did, I think you just kissed my sister."

"I didn't kiss you, and what about your sister?" Morgan retorted, turning to over her shoulder as Kayla shifted into Wanda's lap, revealing Sarah grinning awkwardly through the hole in the seats.

"I, uh, I think I can soul swap. It was kind of amazing. Is that what it feels like to have the super soldier serum, because now I am a little jealous." She chuckled and Kayla smiled weakly, letting out a deep breath as she reached into the trunk to grab her daughter's hand.

"Maybe give us a head's up next time you soul swap with your brother, okay? Because that's kind of weird." Kayla offered as Wanda shifted under her weight. Kayla passed Zawadi, who had taken her spot in the middle in an attempt to lick Sarah's face, over to Tessa. The little brunette grunted loudly as she tried to restrain the dog, unsure why she'd been appointed the Rhodesian's babysitter. Kayla shifted onto the floor, squishing her face as she bent her legs into Wanda's leg space to give her daughter room to breath, since they couldn't exactly let her out in the middle of the air.

"If you ever do that to me again, I'll end you." James snarled, looking over his shoulder to see his sister and accidentally turning the steering wheel to the right with him.

"James!" Morgan shrieked, leaning over to straighten the wheel. James quickly threw his hands up and leaned back, giving Morgan space as she corrected their course.

"Listen hot shot, I'll take it from here. Or maybe you can get in the trunk and let your sister drive. FRIDAY, set course for Midtown. I'll jet ahead and make sure company's ready." Tony blasted forward and Morgan stared after him wide eyed as she studied the coordinates that appeared on the dashboard of her car.

"Why there?" Morgan asked, lifting her brow to the red suit that flew beside them.

"Because," Tony replied simply, "it's kind of a tourist hot spot now. It'll be an easy place to get lost in the crowd." With that he sped ahead to prepare for their arrival in New York.

Tessa massaged her temples, staring out the window wistfully as Kayla looked up at her from the floor, "You okay?"

"Am I going to die?" Tessa asked bluntly and Kayla gaped as she looked from Tessa to Wanda, but the Scarlet Witch stared out the window. Tessa continued, "I don't think there's anywhere in this world that we can hide. And I've accepted that, but can you?"

James and Morgan tilted their heads to catch her words, then looked to each other. What James didn't comprehend was his mother's unfailing ability to protect the people she loved from death, but everyone in the car seemed to understand that this threat was somehow worse than the others.

Kayla swallowed hard and met Tessa's eyes as Sarah peeked in from the trunk. Kayla smiled knowingly before letting out a heavy sigh, "I don't believe in death." Wanda turned her head at that, but Kayla's eyes stayed on Tess, "There's always another way."

Tessa snorted, turning to look out the window as she scratched Zawadi's ears, "You keep on living that way. I hope you never find yourself wrong." Tessa pressed her fist to her mouth and mumbled, "God, I hope you never have to make a choice about who lives or dies."

Kayla's expression fell and Wanda rubbed her shoulder comfortingly as the Manhattan skyline appeared in the distance.

* * *

"Energy readings are off the charts." Steve grumbled as he studied the quinjet's onboard computer, "If this isn't Schmidt, we're walking into some other trouble."

"Three floors, multiple entrances. How the hell are we going to find him?" Bucky asked, sitting behind Steve and flipping through photos of himself and Tessa on his phone.

Steve looked over his shoulder to see his best friend distant. He sighed, feeling heavy with guilt, "Let me go and find him. I think you should stay behind in the jet."

"Well, that's stupid." Bucky mumbled as he lifted his face from his phone, "Then how will I know when you die so I can leave? No, no it's much better to be in the room where it happens so I know when to high tail it out of here and what to tell your wife and kids."

"I'm serious Buck, it's my fight. It's my score to settle." Steve barked, but Bucky just turned over his vibranium arm to check the paneling. "I can do this on my own."

"You won't have to, I'm already in the jet, we're already here." Bucky groaned, finally smiling, "What did we used to say? Something about the end?"

"I'm with you till the end of the line." Steve said quietly, beginning to take the quinjet down near the building. "It's your turn to be happy Buck, you've waited long enough. I'm gonna get you home so you can start a family of your own-"

"I already have one. It's Tess, and you, and Kay, and those two kids of yours. Even Tony and Morgan and Wanda. And Sam." Bucky listed, gripping Steve's shoulder with his right hand, "Dealing with the lot of you is basically like having children. So I'm gonna protect my family, same as you."

As the jet settled onto the grass nearby, Steve finally turned to look at his best friend fully, "The last mission."

"For real this time." Bucky added, standing and reaching down to give Steve a hand. Steve allowed Bucky to pull him up and they faced the back of the quinjet together as the sun beat down on the field they'd landed in. Bucky turned slightly to Steve, never taking his eyes off the open back, "We should hide till nightfall. I don't feel comfortable breaking in during the middle of the day."

Steve tilted his head and raised his brow as he shrugged, "I can't argue with that." Steve locked up the back of the quinjet and turned on stealth mode. He plopped down in the pilot's chair and spun around to face his friend. "Now we wait."

* * *

"And on your left, you can see the Baxter Building! It's currently the headquarters for the superhero group The Fantastic Four, however, many of you may remember its origins as the original Avengers Tower after the Battle of New York in 2012."

Kayla leaned her cheek against her fist as she leaned on the bench, looking over at the eighth tour bus to pass in the last hour. "Are you sure this is where your dad said to meet him? This seems like the opposite of hiding." Morgan turned to look at Kayla as Sarah and James stared up at the massive building in wonder.

"These were his coordinates. He'll be here. Nobody's looking for us, especially not here." Morgan explained quietly as Wanda and Tessa walked down the street with Zawadi toward an ice cream truck, "Don't get too far!"

"Mom, did you ever get to go in there?" James asked excitedly as he leaned back to try and see the top, "When it was Avengers Tower?"

"I lived there for a hot minute." She mumbled, twisting her wrists together as she looked around to make sure nobody was listening, "If you want to talk about it come closer."

"Naw, I'm good." James said as he stood with his hands in the pockets of the jeans he wore. "Did ya'll ever work with the Fantastic Four?"

Kayla tilted her head to stare blankly at her son, but he just raised his eyebrows expectantly, "This counts as talking about it. And no, I did not _work_ with them." She said in air quotes and James and Sarah looked to each other.

"She put air quotes-"

"Yeah, the air quotes mean something."

Both kids sidled up to their mother and she rolled her eyes and leaned back, looking up at the whirring sound of an engine. Kayla squinted as a jet took off from the roof and everyone oohed and aahed. "They used to do that when your father would come and go. I mean, not him specifically, but the team." Kayla remembered with a sigh, "I'll never forget watching the quinjet take off. Or Thor, gosh, that was the best. Lightning would strike and there he'd be. It was... really something."

Sarah looked to her brother, seeing him paint the picture in his mind. She considered invading her mother's memories, inhabiting her very soul in an effort to see what she described for herself, but Kayla seemed content to keep her memories to herself. Sarah couldn't help but notice her mother was sad, and she didn't know if it was because the life she described was long gone or because she didn't want to think about her husband alive and well when they didn't know what would happen to him.

"I have to use the restroom." Sarah said finally and James looked at her expectantly.

"Okay. Go find one." He looked back up, seeing all the people on the observation deck above. When she didn't move, he growled at her, "You don't need a babysitter."

"I'm sorry that I don't frequent New York." Sarah hissed back.

Kayla grunted as she pushed herself off of the bench and took a few steps toward the edge of the building to peek around, "The lower levels are just office space. There will be a restroom in the lobby. You can go, we'll be here."

James looked away from the building long enough to see Morgan smiling at him, but when he caught her gaze she looked away quickly. "Why don't you go with Sarah? It's like you said, standing out here isn't really hiding. I'll shoot you a text if Uncle Tony arrives." James explained, his big green eyes lifting from his mom to Morgan then back again with a boyish grin.

"Mmhhmm. Alright. I'll bite. Stay out of trouble. Wear your hat please." Kayla gestured to the baseball cap she'd picked up for her son at a nearby gift shop after ditching the car in a parking garage. James grumbled but pulled the 'I heart NYC' hat over his shaggy blonde hair. Kayla grinned, her teeth sparkling in the September sunlight, "That's better."

"I don't understand why I need to wear a disg-"

"This isn't some little suburb, James. People might actually recognize you." Sarah hissed and he just crossed his arms, his muscles pulling against his white shirt. "You look like Dad."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Kayla pulled her hand down her face and started walking toward the main entrance of the tower without a word. Sarah shook her head in disbelief, but followed her mother, leaving her brother alone with Morgan.

"I swear, I'm not an idiot." James told Morgan and she just raised her hands defensively, as if to say she didn't say he was. "Do you hide who your dad is?"

"I didn't hide who he was. I just had to hide that he was alive for the past eighteen years." Morgan said bluntly, turning around to face the street. She pulled her own baseball cap down to cover her dark eyes, "You and your sister were kept out of the loop, but a lot of shit went down while you were oblivious. My dad? He's safe because he's officially dead. The thing about your dad, is that people think he's dead, too. Everyone except the person who wants to kill him."

James swallowed and looked to Morgan, seeing her soft eyes scanning over her phone, "I don't want to think about that."

"Yeah, neither does your mother, so be ready for that." Morgan grumbled, finally meeting his gaze, "It's a hard dance, with your parents. Because Steve knows he has to finish what he started in the forties, but your mother doesn't believe in losing people. The Red Skull was trapped on an alien world for decades, but your mom accidentally set him free in an effort to revert her friend's death."

"Which friend?"

"Doesn't matter. Red Skull killed her years later." Morgan muttered and James felt the air seep out of his lungs slowly, "I learned young to live every day with the people I love like there might not be a tomorrow. It's the one good thing that came out of me understanding the truth, I knew how fragile life was."

"Do you think my Dad's gonna die?" James asked quietly and Morgan tried hard to make her smile seem less sad, but it told James the answer to his question. "I just feel like an asshole, because I never knew what he did, what he gave up for us. I feel like all those years were wasted."

"Not for him." Morgan said softly, reaching over and rubbing James's back, "If you had known, would you have treated him differently?"

"Of course." James said quickly, then looked down, "But I also think that he would have treated me differently, too. They would have been stricter, they would have kept me hidden. Just like now. Run and hide." He scratched behind his neck awkwardly, "I feel bad. I'm a super soldier, I should be helping Dad and Uncle Bucky. If they can go and fight, I should be able to."

"Why do you think I have a suit? And not a Rescue suit like my mom. I have an actual Iron Man suit. Because someday..." Morgan licked her lips thoughtfully, "Someday the world is gonna need Iron Man again. I want to make sure somebody's there to take up the mantle."

James nodded, looking down as he considered her words until a van skidded to a stop in front of them. A man in his mid thirties rolled down the window of the black vehicle and grinned at Morgan and James, "I'm here to pick up a little Iron Kid."

"Hey, Peter." Morgan greeted with a warm smile, "This is James. You've met at some point, I think."

Peter looked the teenager up and down, "You look so much like your dad."

"Yeah, I've gotten that a lot the past twenty-four hours." He mumbled, looking over his shoulder and waving Tessa and Wanda over. "My mom and sister are inside going to the bathroom."

"Well get in, we'll do circles till they come out." Peter directed and hit a button to open up the rear door so they could climb in and wait for Kayla and Sarah to return.


	96. Chapter 96

Kayla skillfully led her daughter through the redone lobby of the former Avengers Tower. She felt her heart sink a little to see everything so different. Flashes of memories of this building haunted her memories, but now, those memories began to mingle with memories of the people who bought and redid the building.

Reed had absolutely hated how magnificent and gaudy Stark Tower was. Kayla thought it was ironic and sad that he found a way to take it over and make it his own.

"Bathroom should be just around the corner to the right." Kayla directed and Sarah darted ahead, swatting her mother away to go alone. Kayla leaned against the wall near the restroom, pulling out her phone to scroll through it lazily, but her mind ran a mile a minute.

_Hey, I'm just checking in. Just thinking about you. I hope you're being safe. I_... she deleted the letter to reiterate... _We love you so much._

After pressing send, Kayla blew air out through her lips, knowing Steve would have her head for not telling him about the Enchantress's attack on Tony's cabin. In the grand scheme of things, it was water under the bridge, and she didn't want to worry her husband. She was more worried about him.

Sarah appeared from the restroom with her long hair pulled up into a ponytail on top of her head and hands still damp, "I'm ready."

"Alright, let's go." Kayla lifted her phone again and saw that James had texted. "Our ride is here... _Shit_!"

Kayla quickly pressed her back against the wall, hiding behind a plant as Sarah looked around for whatever scared her mother. "What is it? Is it him?"

Kayla grimaced, daring to peek around the plant again before ducking her face behind the leaves, "It's my ex."

"Your... ex?" Sarah trailed off, looking around and only seeing a bunch of people crowding around a man in a spandex suit taking pictures and asking for selfies. "Is he in the crowd?"

"He's drawing the crowd." Kayla growled, peering between the leaves to see the mob heading their way. "Johnny Storm."

Sarah shifted up to stand on her tiptoes to get a better look at the man. He was shorter than many of the people who cried out for his attention, but occasionally he'd lift up his hands and Sarah could see they were on fire. He had short hair and a beaming smile as he looked around, taking pictures with all the beautiful ladies and nobody else. He looked to be in his fifties, but had a youthful air to him, "You dated Johnny Storm? Before Dad?"

"Well obviously not after." Kayla hissed, unzipping her sweater to give her some air. "It was a... brief, yet fiery affair."

"Ha. That's funny. Because he's on fire." Sarah chuckled, but Kayla just stared at her.

"That wasn't a joke. There was a lot of fire involved. We were only together about two months. But Johnny, he was never one to get dumped, he was always the dumper, not the dumpee, so he wasn't a fan of me after the incident." Kayla explained, peeking through the leaves again. "I assumed he left, seeing as the jet already took off."

"What incident?" Sarah pressed, but Kayla just shushed her again, "What did you do? You dumped him?"

"I mean, yeah; though it wasn't so much the action of me dumping him, it was when I dumped him and why." Kayla explained through clenched teeth, and Sarah had to chuckle at how nervous her mother looked. "Alright, he's facing away, let's make a break for it. Black van, south door."

"Yeah Mom. I think I can handle it." Sarah mumbled as Kayla snuck her way into the crowd, taking the long way around and staring out the massive windows in an effort to keep her face in the other direction from the superhero.

Sarah, on the other hand, took advantage of the close encounter and watched as the man flirted and laughed with the crowd, eating up their affections with practiced ease. He was quite the opposite of her father, but Sarah could admit she saw a resemblance. Her mother definitely had a type.

Suddenly, a large man bumped into Sarah and she fell to the ground, startled and unsteady as she landed on her ass. She looked around, trying to see if her mother was in the vicinity, but it was Johnny Storm who appeared to help her. "Hey, are you okay?" He reached down and she took his hand so he could help her up but-

Sarah blinked quickly, realizing she was no longer in the lobby of the Baxter Building, but instead in a bedroom of some kind. "Oh great." She mumbled, looking around to figure out where she was. Sarah paused when she saw one whole side wall was floor to ceiling glass overlooking New York City. "Wow." She gasped, leaning against the glass to take it all in. Ahead of her though, a strange blue light broke through the sky and a round portal opened up. Moments later, alien monsters appeared and swarmed the city. Sarah looked down, figuring they were about ten stories off the ground as the pedestrians below began to scream and run away in terror.

Sarah whipped around suddenly when she heard a loud banging on the door, followed by a deep, gravelly voice yelling, "Get out here Kid, you gotta see this!"

"I'm a little busy!" A man's voice echoed from deeper in the apartment, followed by a flighty giggle.

"Well be less busy, there's aliens attacking the city!" The gravelly voice yelled before pounding again, causing the whole wall to shake, "Johnny!" A woman's voice was heard frantically calling outside the door, but the deep voice responded, "He's too busy with the President's daughter to care about the city being under attack!"

"Johnny, open this door right now!" The woman's voice called, and Sarah finally caught a glimpse of the young man as he tumbled toward the door with his pants undone.

Meanwhile, Kayla stumbled into the bedroom, laughing boisterously as she held a glass of champagne in her left hand. Sarah was awestruck by how young and beautiful her mother looked- she was slim with white hair to her waist that held a gentle wave, as if she'd had it up in a bun previously. Kayla wore a man's shirt, showing off her long, lean legs. She looked like Kayla from the memory when she was shot with the anti-serum: slim and weak.

For the first time in her life, Sarah saw a resemblance between herself and her stunning mother.

Kayla's eyes twinkled as she fell onto the bed, draining the rest of her wine and rubbing her legs together impatiently. Sarah began to worry where the memory would lead until Kayla looked out the window and screamed.

At the shrill sound, Johnny Storm quickly darted towards her, leaving a trail of smoke in his wake, "What's wr- Jesus!" A hoard of aliens came racing by the building, almost crashing through the windows. Kayla dropped her glass and it shattered, sitting up and sprinting to the other side of the room.

"Johnny, we need to go now!" The woman screamed into the bedroom, but the man didn't move as Kayla pulled her cell phone out of a pile of clothes that clearly belonged to her.

"Daddy?" She yelped into the phone, cradling it to her face. "Yes, I'm in New York. I'm with Johnny." Kayla looked up at the man, swallowing hard as she listened to the other line. "Yes. Yes I'm sure they can do that- Yes. Here, talk to Reed. Reed!" She called, and a tall man entered the room, taking the phone from her. She turned to Johnny with a knowing smirk that only faded when she saw a pair of aliens riding by on their machine.

"Yes. Yes, Mr. President." Reed Richards answered, looking over at Johnny angrily, "With all due respect, I really think he can handle it by himself... oh. Oh, I- I understand. Yes, Mr. President. Thank you." Reed handed the phone to Kayla and she began talking quietly as the Fantastic Four barked at one another.

"Damn it Johnny, he says we have to stay here." Reed growled, and Johnny just laughed, causing the woman to smack his arm and cry out, "This isn't funny, Johnny!"

"I think it's hilarious, and you're welcome. Now we don't have to deal with all of this." He gestured toward the windows, but Reed snapped at him again.

"They're bringing in the team from SHIELD, the Avengers or whatever they're called." Reed looked from Kayla to Johnny and lowered his voice, so Sarah got closer, practically standing in the middle of the group, "If this gets worse, I'm leaving her ass here with you and we're going."

"Sounds like a plan to me. I have big plans for that ass." Johnny replied and the woman rolled her eyes before storming away, followed by Mr. Fantastic.

By this time, Kayla was off the phone and grinning like a fool, running and jumping into Johnny's arms as he kissed her passionately. Sarah leaped out of the way, not needing them to walk through her. In fact, Sarah was just beginning to pull herself out of her trance when a jet came crashing down onto the street beside them. She darted to the window, leaning against it as she ignored the moans that escaped her mother's throat.

Sarah stared down as three people came charging out of the back of the jet, a man wearing a sleeveless vest, a man wearing a very bright blue suit, and a woman in black with short red hair. As they took off running down the street toward Grand Central Station, the redhead slowed and looked up at the building, meeting Sarah's eyes.

"What the hell are you doing up there?" She called, fully aware of Sarah's presence, and it was then Sarah realized it was the same redhead from the orange world.

"Who are you? Why can you see me?" Sarah called out, but the redhead just turned to look at the serpent coming down from the sky, back in the memory as it was. Sarah turned, seeing the two on the bed unfazed by what was happening down below. "Ugh, let's speed this up a bit shall we." Sarah raised her hand and waved it to the side, fast- forwarding through time until her mother's back crashed against the window next to her.

Johnny Storm held her up as she wrapped her legs around his waist, but she fanned her face as she pulled away from kissing him, sweating from head to toe. She leaned her head against the cool glass as he began to kiss her neck, but then Kayla twisted her neck and looked down, catching a glimpse of something interesting.

Sarah saw the shift. It was instantaneous, and it was significant. Sarah followed her mother's glance and smiled, seeing what Kayla had latched on to.

"Hey... hey Johnny... baby..." She moaned as she tried to wiggle out of his grip, but he didn't understand that she was trying to get away. "Who are they?"

Finally Johnny lifted his head to see who she was pointing at, the redhead, the archer, and the man in the blue suit. "A bunch of SHIELD's costumed clowns." He growled, latching onto her earlobe as aliens shot up the street, sending cars flying into the air as people ran for their lives.

Kayla narrowed her eyes though, and Sarah could see the man who held her didn't exist anymore. "No, wait... look." Finally Johnny let her down so she could get a good look. She began to walk slowly away, pushing open another door leading to a corner sitting room with floor to ceiling windows as well, allowing Kayla a perfect view of the Pershing Square Bridge.

Sarah ran after Kayla, invested in what was about to happen, and Johnny Storm reluctantly followed, seeing what she was staring at, "Baby, it's not who you think it is. Reed's heard the rumors, it's just a guy in a costume-"

"You don't know that." Kayla spat back, hope sparkling in her green eyes, "It could be him... Could you imagine Johnny? Imagine the breakthrough I'd have, if I could just get a sample of DNA..."

"Or, I could give you a sample of my DNA, and you can see what you can cook up with that." He purred into her ear and she allowed it, giggling as she leaned into his lips. All of a sudden the explosions picked up and started blasting at Captain America as he dove off the Pershing Square Bridge, somersaulted onto a bus and outran the blasts before spring-boarding off of a flipping car, and front-flipping, and then landing on his feet to begin running.

Kayla's jaw was slack as she stared for a moment, pressing her palm flat against Johnny's chest, the sweat causing steam to rise from their contact. "I have to go."

Johnny shook his head in confusion, chasing after the stunning blonde as she ran back to the bedroom to collect her clothes, "What do you mean go? You can't go, your dad said you have to stay here with us!"

"No, Dad said you had to stay here and protect me. It isn't the same thing. I wasn't told to stay." Kayla pointed out as she pulled on her dark wash skinny jeans. "You can stay here and pretend to be watching me! It's perfect really, because then Daddy won't know that I'm out there in all that." Kayla gestured to the battle as casually as Johnny had earlier.

He still gawked at her as she unbuttoned his shirt and pulled her own fire engine red top on, "Kayla, you can't be serious-"

"I'm dead serious, I'm not throwing away this opportunity! Plus, the sooner I find out whether he's the real deal or not, the sooner I can stop thinking about it. Because I'm going to be thinking about him for a long while." Kayla drawled, fanning herself dramatically, which only made Johnny's blood boil more. Kayla noticed the temperature rising and turned to face him with a knowing expression, "Johnny, darling, don't take it personally. I've been studying Captain America for years, it's for science."

"Are you going to fuck him for science, too?" Johnny sneered, crossing his arms bitterly.

Kayla shrugged, "Maybe. I'll need to see what's under that mask first, but maybe." Kayla tilted her head, letting her hair cascade over her shoulder, "Listen, I've had a great time with you, it's been fun! It's been great for both of us PR wise, and the sex has been phenomenal, but we both know this isn't going to last. I'm going to go now, and I need to keep my options open."

Something between a growl and a groan left the man's throat as he threw her jacket at her, but she caught it easily, "Sorry, baby. It's nothing personal."

Sarah followed her mother as she swept out of the room, trotting to the elevator past the rest of the Fantastic Four with nothing more than a coy wave. When she reached the elevator, the little brunette Sarah was used to seeing hopped in with them and turned to Sarah expectantly, "She's impossible, right? The most difficult human being I've ever met."

"What happens now?" Sarah asked, finding it funny how this girl could talk to her, but Kayla continued staring ahead with wild, excited eyes.

"We went to the tower, but we couldn't get past the main lobby, so we called a cab and got out of dodge. Your parents met a year later."

"Who are you?" Sarah asked as the elevator doors opened up and Kayla charged forward, leaving her friend in the dust, "Why can I talk to you? And the redhead?"

"I'm Tiffany. I was your mom's best friend. The Red Skull killed me before you were born. The redhead is Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. Your mother freed the Red Skull to save her, but she died anyway." Tiffany explained quickly as Sarah began to fade, "Good luck Sarah. Just remember, everything will turn out alright in the end."

Sarah blinked rapidly and looked around, finding herself still on the ground in the lobby of the Baxter Building. She scrambled to her feet and wiped herself off, "I'm so sorry. I-I have to go."

Johnny Storm studied her, but he didn't seem alarmed, which gave Sarah hope she hadn't actually been zoned out as long as she was in the memory. "You look familiar."

"I just have that kind of face." Sarah said quickly, giving an awkward wave as she darted toward the door. She pushed open the glass and was quickly yanked to the side by her mother.

"What happened back there? I was worried sick about you!" Kayla cried, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I just... did the thing. Again. I saw you, during the Battle of New York-"

"Oh gosh, how much did you see?" Kayla moaned and Sarah chuckled.

She looked her mom up and down, finding her familiar and chaotic and strong. All the things that comforted Sarah about her family. "I guess I'd say love at first sight."

Kayla smiled weakly, toying with her wedding ring on her left hand as a black van honked at them from the curb, "Something like that."


	97. Chapter 97

Peter pulled up to a small house in Queens with a red swing on the front porch and a couple of bicycles parked to the side of the garage. Sarah felt a sense of peace wash over her for the first time in days. She couldn't decide if her newfound powers were telling her the home was safe, or if she was just happy to be promised somewhere to rest without fear for a while.

"Thank you, Peter. We really appreciate this." Kayla said, leaning to her left to face the man in the driver's seat, "We won't stay long."

"I'd say you could stay as long as you wanted, but I can't risk it. Ben gets back from his grandparents' house tomorrow night and I don't want him around all this. I'm sorry." Peter told Kayla, looking her up and down with familiar bright eyes. "You haven't changed a bit."

Kayla shrugged a bit as she exhaled loudly, "Not on the outside maybe. But it isn't natural."

Peter tilted his head, but didn't press her any further, turning off the van instead and hitting the button on the console to open the back door. Wanda and Tessa scrambled out with Zawadi, the dog pulling the small brunette toward the grass so he could relieve herself while Tessa told Kayla she needed a break from dog duty. Wanda looked back to see Sarah hop onto the asphalt, emitting a sound almost like a wheeze.

Wanda wiggled her fingers down by her side, pulling the girl's thoughts and finding nothing but exhaustion on her mind. It made the Scarlet Witch squeamish, knowing she'd witnessed the girl lose what strength she'd been promised from her parent's decisions to become science experiments. Wanda had never known Kayla or Steve without the serum. Seeing Sarah as a seventeen-year-old who looked fourteen and pulling out an inhaler just to catch her breath from nerves made Wanda sad. It said so much about who Kayla and Steve once were, and why they made the decisions they did.

If Wanda struggled so much just to exist, she thought she might just take experimental drugs for enhanced physicality, too.

"We've only got one extra bedroom, but I had MJ put the blow up mattress in there so at least everyone will have a place to sleep." Peter Parker explained as he held open the front door. He looked up past Kayla, Tessa, Wanda, and Sarah, noticing two were missing, "Where's Morgan?"

Kayla looked over her shoulder, seeing slight movement from the backseat of the van, "They'll come when they're ready. If you don't mind, I'd love to get washed up. It's been a long couple of days."

Peter guided them into the house, looking over his shoulder one last time to see if the woman he thought of as a younger sister was coming. She wasn't.

As the front door to the house closed, James looked back to Morgan with a sly smirk, then pressed his lips to hers gently as she scooted closer to him, sitting on her left thigh to get better balance as she held the back of his neck with both hands. He confidently pushed his tongue into her mouth and she moaned into him as she ran her fingers through his messy blonde hair.

"My father is going to kill you." She murmured as he pulled away slightly and pressed soft kisses to her jaw, "I really don't care though." She moaned quietly as she tugged his chin up to her lips so she could capture him in another kiss.

He hummed as she bit his lip, responding by diving back in for another, more passionate, kiss. "I don't care either." He whispered, pushing a chunk of hair back from her face, "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"I'm hoping you haven't been with too many older women." Morgan chuckled and he pressed his forehead to hers and sucked in the shallow breaths she released. "Even now I feel a little weird. You're still in high school."

"Does it help that I would have been older than you if I hadn't been eradicated from existence by a mad titan?" James pressed a short kiss to her lips, his cheeky smile willing Morgan to put her caution to the wind, "Don't make it weird. Everything in my life is weird. My dad is like, sixty, seventy years older than my mom apparently? That shit's really weird."

Morgan laughed and pulled his lips back to hers, smacking against them until his lips were the same shade of pink as her cheeks. She needed air, realizing quickly that his lungs were clearly and unsurprisingly better than hers.

As Morgan caught her breath, biting her lower lip and looking at James with a lack of confidence he felt endearing, James considered the idea that she'd never slept with anyone. She'd never kissed anyone before him, and he'd happily be her first for other things as well...

The electric whir of a machine booting up caught their attention and Morgan wiped her lip as she turned toward the open door with a grimace. James placed both hands in the air, as if he was preparing to be arrested. "I'm sorry Uncle-"

"My God, I wish we were actually related so you'd detach yourself from my daughter. You just can't stay away, can you?" Tony sneered, powering down the repulser glove he'd had aimed at the boy's head. "You are literally the worst of both of your parents. You have no regard for orders like your father, and you're horny as hell like your mother." He growled in disgust, staring James up and down like he was atrocious. "Get your ass out of the backseat!"

"Yes, sir." James muttered as he scrambled forward and out the door, practically sprinting to the house before pausing in the doorway. Tony revved up the glove and lifted it toward him and he dove through the door somewhere safe.

Tony huffed, turning back to his daughter as the gauntlet retracted back into his watch. Morgan rested her elbow against the side window, then pressed her curled fist against her cheek as she deflated. Tony smirked, "Don't look at me like that."

"Dad, I'm not a child anymore, I am an actual adult. And as much as you hate to admit it, so is James. We are both adults."

"He's in high school, Morgan, it's practically illegal." Tony replied but his daughter just rolled her eyes, "You could have any man in the world. Literally any person, why him? What makes him so special? You don't even know him."

"Did you know every woman's credit score who you bedded before Mom?" Morgan snapped and Tony faked shame as his daughter stared daggers into him, "I want to get to know him again. You love his parents."

"Yeah, but I also hate his parents. I love them because of the shared history we have together, but they are two of the most difficult human beings on Earth. That boy is trouble, and I don't trust him to not hurt you. I won't let him break your heart."

Morgan sighed, climbing forward from the backseat to stand face to face with Tony Stark, "There comes a point where you have to trust me and trust my own judgment. You can't control me, Dad. You can't keep me in a glass box. I'm not nearly as breakable as you think I am."

Tony relented, slinging his arm around Morgan's shoulders and pressing a kiss to her hair, "I know. But we shouldn't be here right now. Your mother is gone. I was brought back from the dead. I can't risk anything happening to you." She smiled up at him as he led her into Peter's house, letting the conversation rest for now. She was so thankful for the most difficult woman on Earth and her inability to let things be.

* * *

MJ ordered pizza for her husband's guests, and despite Peter's best efforts, no one aside from Tony and occasionally Wanda would participate in conversation. A tension hung in the air over the band of refugees. Homeless, scared, running for their lives. Even James, who usually finished a whole pizza by himself, poked away at only three slices, but Kayla gathered from the way Tony glared at her son that James wasn't sad about losing his home or regular life.

Kayla eyed Tony as he laughed boisterously with Peter, noticing the way Morgan would smile weakly at James when her father wasn't looking. Tony caught Kayla's gaze and barked, "What?"

"You know what." Kayla challenged, leaning her chin on her fist as a sly grin broke across her features, "Any resentment, any wrongdoings you think you can bring up to defend your disdain for-" Kayla stopped, closing her mouth and choosing not to bring her thoughts to light in front of the table as she folded her hands together and rested her index fingers against her lips, "Remember that one time that I was punished for something that Hydra did? Because you responded to a secret with a lie that left me broken and then you took advantage of my devastation."

"Really, Kay? You wanna have this conversation now? In front of the kids?" Tony snapped back, pounding his hand on the table.

"Does Morgan know?" Kayla bit back, looking to Stark's daughter, who just held her temple with the tips of her fingers. Her eyes were wide but not surprised, telling Kayla that Morgan did in fact know about their tryst. "You owe me for Siberia, and everything it caused. I found out I was pregnant with James in some run down roach motel because I couldn't come home. Because you held a grudge. For something _none of us_ had control over." Kayla chuckled, looking over to her children to see the horrified looks on their faces. She turned back to Stark with her teeth clenched angrily, "I wonder so often, how things might have been different if you'd made a different call. Hell, if you had told me the _truth_. Maybe we would have already been back together when Thanos came, maybe we would have been able to stop the snap from happening in the first place-"

"I paid with my life!" He yelled back, but Kayla wasn't about to be undone, determined to give her son a chance with the girl he'd pined over for most of his teenage years.

"I made sure you got a refund." Kayla answered, leaning back to show she was done fighting, already having said her peace, "I'm scared, Tony. I'm scared because this is all my fault, and no matter what happens, every outcome is still my fault. So give me this. Stop looking at my son the same way you stared at my husband that day when Carol brought you back from space. He hasn't done anything wrong."

James chewed on his top lip, staring down at his pizza with wide, stunned emerald eyes. The last thing he was expecting was for his mom to go to bat for him at the dinner table. It was quite embarrassing.

_I think you two are cute together._

James's head snapped up, unsure if someone had actually said that or if he was imagining it, but when he saw the Scarlet Witch's eyes simmer back to their normal color from red, he understood and awkwardly mouthed 'thanks'. James scratched his forehead under his shaggy hair, noticing that Morgan was smiling softly at him and he blushed a little under her gaze.

Tony noticed and stood quickly, storming away, but Kayla didn't let up on her gaze. She crossed one leg over the other as she looked to Peter and MJ, "Sorry. He's being unreasonable."

Peter snorted as he shoved another piece of pizza into his mouth, a wide grin saying he agreed, but the words would never leave his lips. MJ nodded a little, "I made brownies, anyone want dessert?"

* * *

Tony moved the blow up mattress into the guest bedroom, offering to spend the night on the fold out couch in the den. James, not to be outdone by Morgan's father, offered to sleep on the couch in the living room. Tony kept his gaze away from the boy, knowing he'd caused more trouble than he'd saved, so he brought the extra pillows from the den out for James when he inevitably ended up sleeping on the floor. The couch was too small for a man of his stature. At eighteen, he looked like his father had at twenty-two, reminding Tony that not only was he enhanced, he'd been deprived of five years. He still didn't want James banging his daughter, though.

Sarah and Morgan were out cold on the blow up mattress by the window, and Wanda slept lightly on the far edge of the queen-sized bed. Tessa leaned against the wall near the guest bathroom, waiting for Kayla to come to bed, but Kayla had locked herself away an hour ago and hadn't returned. The shower had been running for at least twenty minutes, and Tess was beginning to worry.

"What are you doing?" Tessa finally asked as she gently pried open the bathroom door, instantly being met by the intense smell of bleach, "Kay?"

Kayla turned off the shower and pulled a towel off the rack from behind the curtain as Tessa looked around the steamy bathroom, finding the box of hair dye next to some blonde extensions. She looked to the shower, but Kayla remained behind the curtain, so she asked, "What is all this?"

Finally Kayla pulled the curtain aside, and carefully stepped out of the shower, holding the sky blue towel around her bosom tightly. Tessa noticed her damp hair was bleach blonde, the same color she'd seen in all the old photographs of Kayla Ellis. Tessa also noticed how tired she looked and how red her eyes were from crying. She opened her mouth to speak, but Kayla cut her off quickly, "I just wanted a change."

"You sure? It kinda looks like you want to go back to your roots before the change." Tess replied quietly, picking up the extensions, "You regretting the short 'do?"

"Yeah. I miss my long hair." Kayla admitted, brushing out the tangles from her newly colored locks. "I miss a lot of things."

Tess nodded, understanding where Kayla's head was going, "Getting back into battle really took you back, didn't it? Going to the tower, seeing people again. You're not doing well with it all."

"Can you blame me?" Kayla laughed, shushing herself as she raised her shoulders, "I know you feel the same way..."

"Yeah, but it's different for you. I can tell." Tessa lowered her head, staring at Kayla curiously as the woman fought to keep up her front, "You're upset because the kids just found out about you and Steve, and now they're walking into a fight again. You've waited almost twenty years for this moment, and it's here, and now you can't even enjoy it."

Kayla's lip wobbled and she plopped down on the toilet seat. Tess pulled the bathroom door closed so her crying wouldn't wake the others, but Kayla's heaving sobs stirred her son awake downstairs.

James looked up, rubbing his eyes as he sat up on the couch, feeling an ache in his back from bending uncomfortably. He swung his legs off and slowly crept up the stairs, being cautious not to make a sound. He didn't dare give Tony any reason to believe he was sneaking up to see Morgan, but he was too curious to just let the sobbing be.

When he reached the room, he leaned against the wall, listening to the faint voices on the other side.

Tess held Kayla's shoulders as the woman sobbed into her chest, trying hard to stay quiet but unable to hold in her tears, "I just wanted to have this moment with Steve, you know? He's waited so long, we've waited so long. We thought we were past all this, but I set the Red Skull free, and Steve has to go clean it up."

"Shhh, I know. Bucky's there, he'll protect Steve-"

"Bucky needs to protect himself so he can come home to you. Steve doesn't understand self-preservation very well, and with the kids grown... he's going to finish the job this time, whatever the cost." Kayla wheezed as she held her forehead by her fingertips. James felt his stomach clench at the words, remembering what his father said to him before he left.

_If I don't come back, look after your mom and sister._

Yesterday James thought his parents were boring. That they worked boring jobs and had boring friends and that they'd harass him until they were grey and old. Suddenly, everything James thought he knew about his family, and about himself, was turned on its head, and he was expected to be the man of the house because neither of his parents expected his dad to come back.

"Kay, why did you pick a fight with Tony today? At dinner?" Tess asked sincerely, and James pressed his ear against the wall to hear his mother's answer.

Kayla's breath stuck in her throat, and her jaw wavered as it hung open, a sob trying to escape, but she shoved it back down. She wheezed a little, her whole chest shaking as she cried. "I just want to make sure he's taken care of, that's all."

"Why?" Tess pressed, kneeling down so she could look up at Kayla while she hid her face, "You'll be here to take care of them."

Kayla raised her head, and looked at Tessa. The silence was almost more deafening than the pounding of James's heart. He held his breath as he waited for his mother to answer. He was starting to get an idea of who his mother was.

"I'm going after them." Kayla answered quietly, and James felt his world come crashing down, shaking his head back and forth quickly as he silently pleaded his mom not to go. Tess slowly shook her head, preparing to tell her no, but Kayla stopped her, "If I don't go, who will?"

"Nobody will. That's the point, that's why they went alone. And it's a damn good thing considering Hydra was infiltrating SHIELD. Kayla, you need to let them do this. Steve and Bucky can handle it-"

"And if they can't?" Kayla asked, shaking her head as she began to hyperventilate, "What if they can't? Then what?"

Tessa swallowed hard, taking Kayla's hands in her own and staring at them as her eyes welled up, "Then we call somebody else to finish the job-"

"No." Kayla stood quickly and Tessa fell onto her ass to stare up at the blonde. Kayla shook from head to toe, from fear and from the cold of the bathroom, "I caused this. I set him free. I need to go. And if it comes down to it, I'll be the one to-"

The sound of the door opening cut Kayla off, and she turned to the bathroom door in sync with Tessa. Tessa quickly stood and cracked the door a bit, addressing whoever was on the other side in a hushed voice. Kayla picked up the clothes she'd set out for herself and began to dress as Tess turned around to face her, "It's your son."

"Is he okay?" Kayla asked quickly as she pulled yoga pants over her muscular thighs.

Tess shook her head back and forth, "No. He heard our conversation. The end of it at least."

Kayla sighed loudly and pulled a black tank top over her bra, "Shit." She tip-toed past Tess and met her son at the door, "James, why are you up?"

"I heard someone crying." He said simply, his expression a mix of hurt and confusion, "I came to see who it was and realized it was you. I wasn't going to say anything but I heard you talking and-"

"Shh, let's go talk downstairs." Kayla told him, grabbing his hand and quietly closing the door behind them. He led her down the stairs and sat on the couch while she stood in front of him. He could see her hair had lost the last of it's red, and in the tank top he could see how defined his mom's muscles were. James swallowed, his own lip beginning to quiver as he waited for his mother to address him.

She sighed, "What did you hear?"

"You're going after Dad and Uncle Bucky, and you aren't planning on coming back." He said boldly, clenching and releasing his fist to relieve some of the anger that was bubbling up inside him, "So you're just going to leave Sarah and I? Because you'd rather die than live without Dad? Let me guess, it's because I look just like him and it drives you crazy. That seems to be everybody else's problem."

"No, Honey, no." Kayla sat down beside her son and grabbed his shoulder. "Baby, I would do anything for you two. This isn't about bringing your dad home, it's about cleaning up the mess I made..." She stroked James's cheek and he lowered his eyes, "Honey, you aren't your father. You are your own person, and you can be whoever you want to be. Remember that your dad and I made a big mess and a lot of people are suddenly realizing we're still around. James Rogers was said to have died years ago, but James Carter has been living a wonderful, normal life ever since." Kayla gave him a one armed hug and leaned her cheek against his shoulder, "I love you so much, James. You and your sister are my everything, but-"

"But what? If you mean that, then there is no but." James spat back, finally turning to look at his mother again. Where everyone else saw Steve, she saw herself, in his defiant eyes and sly grin and bubbly personality. James was her baby boy, the one she mourned for half a decade, the one she risked her life for in a battle she had no business being in. And he was asking her to stay.

"You're right." Kayla conceded and felt the need to cry by how surprised her son looked, "You are right, I can't go. My children need me."

James saw she was on the verge of tears and pulled her into a proper hug, squeezing her tightly, but she didn't seem to mind. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, James."


	98. Chapter 98

Sarah sat up with a start, panting and holding her head. She quickly began shaking Morgan and the older girl groaned, "What? What's wrong?"

"He's coming. He's coming for us." Sarah whispered, her eyes blown out in terror as she lifted her shaking arms to push herself up, "We have to go."

"Who's coming for us?" Morgan yawned as Sarah began shaking her mother awake. Kayla groaned, looking up at her daughter before stretching.

"What's going on?"

"Mom! Mom, the man you showed me- The Red Skull, he's coming. I can sense him." Sarah shrieked, looking over her shoulder at Morgan in terror, "I don't know how, but I can sense him and he's coming. He's found us."

Kayla blinked away the sleep rapidly, looking to Morgan with fearful eyes, "Go wake up your father and Peter and MJ." Morgan jumped to her feet and went running down the hall, calling for her father frantically. The commotion stirred Tessa and Wanda as Zawadi paced the room whimpering nervously.

"Schmidt's coming. Sarah can sense him." Kayla hissed when Tess threw the pillow over her head. Kayla grabbed it and chucked the pillow at Wanda, effectively bringing both of the women to life.

Wanda cracked her fingers, red sparking as she rolled over and sat up on the bed, "What do you want to do? Run? Fight?"

"I think running is the worst thing we could do. If we run, he'll chase, and innocent people will get hurt." Kayla said, pulling her long extensions into a high ponytail. It wasn't lost on her friends and daughter that she had been sleeping in her clothes, clearly planning to disappear into the night. Kayla looked to Sarah, seeing her chest rise and fall frantically until she dove for her bag to grab her inhaler. "Sarah, honey, breathe, it's going to be okay. We'll figure this out."

"He's coming for us. How can you say everything is going to be okay?" Sarah cried, sitting on the floor and taking several pumps from her inhaler.

Tess looked to Kayla expectantly, but Kayla didn't have an answer, so Tess filled in the words Kayla was clearly thinking, "His greatest enemy is Steve. He'll want the three of you. The rest of us will be collateral damage."

"Don't say that, we'll figure something out." Kayla hissed, reaching under the bed and grabbing her briefcase. She popped it open and Tess watched her rifle through her things before pulling out a vile of deep blue liquid.

"Ohhhh, it's everybody's favorite McGuffin," Tess sing-songed in a vain attempt to display her unease. "You sure you want that on you?"

"What is it?" Sarah asked, but Kayla ignored her and carefully transferred the liquid into a syringe. "Mom?"

"Well seeing as our resident sniper is out on business, I think we should have some defense against the monster." Kayla hissed, carefully holding the cap for the syringe in her teeth as she prepared it for eventual injection, "This shit is potent, and it's fast. If I get close enough-"

"He still has the power of the Soul Stone." Wanda interrupted, her eyes glowing red as she stared at Kayla dully, "You're bringing a knife to a firefight. He'll out-power all of us like that." Wanda snapped her fingers, and the sound hung in the air. Sarah looked between the redhead and her mother, waiting to see if Kayla would listen.

Tess looked at Kayla sadly, "She's right. Even without the super soldier serum, from everything I saw that night you fought him, he'll be too powerful to stop. His strength is in the magic, not the serum."

"Fine." Kayla tossed the vial back into her briefcase so casually, Sarah flinched knowing what was inside it. "Any other suggestions?"

"He's not the only one deriving power from the Soul Stone..." Wanda trailed off and Sarah felt the breath pulled from her lungs.

_Me?_

"Absolutely not." Kayla growled back, grabbing her briefcase and leaving the room without another word. Wanda and Zawadi took off after her, but Tess stayed back with Sarah, seeing the girl growing paler by the minute.

"I- I can't fight him!" Sarah yelped, remembering what the woman in her vision had told her, "I can't, I'm not strong enough!"

"We'll figure out another way, you're gonna be okay. Your mom won't let anything happen to you."

Sarah felt a tingle run through her body as her blue eyes turned golden, "He's getting closer."

"Come on." Tessa grabbed her hand and dragged her downstairs, finding everyone already there. Sarah swallowed when she saw James, her annoying, frustrating, idiotic brother James in his black suit, looking like a superhero ready to fight.

"If you aren't already, suit up." Tony said and Tess looked at him incredulously, "What? You don't have a suit?"

"Tess, take MJ and lock yourselves in one of the closets. Take Zawadi with you." Kayla pushed the dog toward Tess and he cried for her. She swung her head around to look at the others, seeming to reconsider her words.

"We can't all hide. If we all hide, he'll destroy us all." Morgan supplied sadly, looking to her dad, "I think you should go with them and hide."

"Me? Why-"

"Because you're not young anymore, Dad." Morgan said sadly and Tony lifted his hand to prepare an argument, but Peter cut him off.

"Mr. Stark, protect my wife. Please."

Tony looked from Peter to Morgan, then back to Kayla, but she just gave a tight-lipped nod. "Alright."

"What about us?" James asked, lifting his jaw proudly as he awaited instructions.

Tony cleared his throat and gestured for Kayla to come closer, "You know, Schmidt is probably looking for Steve-"

"Who isn't here." Kayla said bluntly, and Tony nodded, gesturing forward with his hand.

"-but," he continued, "Maybe if he thought Steve was here-"

"What would that accomplish Tony?" Kayla bit back strongly, the thick heel of her boot slamming into the hardwood floor, "I'm not doing that."

"It might give him pause. Might... get him rambling a little. He's known to do that. The man likes a good speech. And honestly," Tony said quietly, staring down Kayla, "Schmidt wouldn't do anything to Steve until he got rid of you. If you can keep yourself alive, it might be enough to protect the boy."

"Do I really look that much like my dad?" James asked Wanda as Kayla grabbed his arm and pulled up a small holograph screen, using the dial to change the black nano suit to a different color scheme, "Whoa."

Kayla's chest rose and fell heavily with every iteration she scanned through, finally picking the thick-scaled suit from their battle with Thanos. She quickly reached up and combed James's hair back and away from his eyes, "Just stand there. Don't say anything, I've got this, okay? He won't lay a hand on you if he thinks you are your father. His goal is to make him suffer first, die later."

"Yeah, I don't like what that means for you." James grumbled, catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror. "Hot damn..." Kayla looked up with a grin as he apologized, trying to figure out how to stand. Kayla grabbed his hands and placed them on his belt before using her fingers to push back his shoulders.

"A dead ringer for old Steve Rogers if I ever saw one." Tony said cheerfully as Sarah sucked in her breath.

"He's almost here." Sarah whimpered, feeling weak.

Kayla turned to Tony, "Go, we'll be okay."

He turned to Morgan and she just nodded so he darted upstairs to find where Tess and MJ took the slobbery dog.

Kayla looked to Sarah, then looked around the room, "Listen, I'm not going to ask you to use your powers. The less he understands about you two the better. Go in the kitchen and hide. Don't come out, no matter what you hear or see, do you understand me?"

"You're the bait, aren't you?"

"Yeah, but," Kayla grumbled, "I can handle myself."

Sarah looked from her mother to her brother, taking in how majestic and powerful they looked, but she could tell James wasn't Captain America, "What if he knows this isn't Dad?"

"He probably will, but it'll at least distract him. He doesn't know where your father is, it'll give him a leg up on trying to kill him when he gets back to wherever he's hiding out-" Kayla explained, but Sarah interjected nervously.

"What if he already has Dad?"

James looked to his mother in terror, but she stayed resolute, exhaling loudly as a knock was heard from the front door, "Then we have to do whatever we can to protect ourselves. If he has your father, then we're just pawns in his game."

Sarah darted into the kitchen as James stood behind his mom, hands on his hips and jaw set tightly in an effort to look tough and not terrified. Wanda went into the kitchen with Sarah, but she didn't hide, she just sat at the table, pretending to be casual as she kept an eye trained on the front door as Peter approached slowly. Morgan held one hand over the other, preparing to engage her nano suit if she had to.

Peter Parker reached toward the knob, but was knocked back when the door was blasted open by a rocket launcher. Kayla and James dove to the side as Morgan turned on her thrusters, floating upward as Schmidt entered the house. Peter sprang back to his feet, aiming his web shooter at the Red Skull, but Schmidt reached out and grabbed his neck quickly with a black leather glove. Peter kicked against his stomach, getting out of his grip, but when he tried to land another punch, Schmidt yanked his fist forward and Peter fell limp at his feet. Schmidt stepped over Spider-Man as Morgan lunged downward, but he just waved her off, slamming her into the wall as he approached Kayla and James. Wanda quickly rose from her spot in the kitchen and Schmidt blasted at her, but she put up a force field and blocked his hit.

"Not today." She growled, and Sarah looked up at her from her hiding spot as she took a step to the right and entered the living room. "What do you want?"

Schmidt laughed, brushing off his black leather coat casually, "I want a lot of things, _mein Kind._" He slurred at the Sokovian in German, "But before I accomplish any of that I have to extinguish this little problem I keep having. I think it goes by Captain America." His eyes met James's and Kayla reached behind to grab her son's hand, trying to ease his nerves when Schmidt had him in his sights.

"Over my dead body." Kayla snarled, shifting her weight from foot to foot like a wild animal about to attack. Schmidt saw it too and laughed airily.

"That can be arranged, Mrs. Rogers, but all in due time. Killing your husband isn't enough, I want him to have the slowest, most painful demise of any of my enemies. I want him to watch me strip away everything he loves until he's a broken man and then I'll crack his skull."

Kayla stood firm, but James felt a shiver run up his spine at the threat. He was pretending to be Captain America and he was the one who's skull was going to get cracked and suddenly he wondered if Tony came up with this diversion idea to get him killed on purpose.

Schmidt took a step toward Kayla and James while Wanda did the same from the other side, but Schmidt didn't even look at her, "I need something from you Mrs. Rogers, something very specific that only you can conjure. My resources are not what they used to be and I need your help."

"I'll never help you, you're a madman."

"You helped me once. You set me free from Vormir. You're the reason I'm here now. And I think I can convince you to help me again." Schmidt taunted as he took another heavy step forward. Kayla kept her eyes trained on him, but Wanda noticed Morgan beginning to stir from the place she'd been thrown by the stairs. When the girl got her wits, she moved over to Peter, reaching down and checking his pulse. She looked up at Wanda and shook her head.

_He's gone._

"There's nothing you can say or do to get me to help you." Kayla snarled, clenching her right hand into a fist. Schmidt stared past her to James, studying him thoughtfully for a moment.

"Where is Steve Rogers?" He asked lightly, his beady eyes protruding from his skull. James swallowed hard, unsure if he should keep up the charade and follow his mother's directions to stay quiet. In the time it took him to make up his mind, the decision was gone.

Wanda blasted at Schmidt and sent him flying back, so Morgan suited up and nailed him with her gauntlets, but he grabbed her leg and smashed her into the ground, drawing James from his spot behind Kayla. He took two steps toward Morgan, jaw set angrily as he prepared to defend Morgan against the Red Skull.

"Honey, no-" Kayla warned as he approached the monster, but Schmidt turned toward him just in time to take a punch to the face. Kayla grimaced as she stepped back, taking in the astonished look on Schmidt's face.

He smiled broadly and looked James up and down, "Ohhh, you are your father's son." Schmidt quickly thrust his palm against James's chest and his soul floated backward as his body collapsed onto the ground as Peter's had.

"James!" Kayla screeched, lunging forward to block Schmidt from doing any more damage while James looked down at his hands in shock.

"Wha- how? What did you do to me?" He yelled as Morgan lifted her head, retracting her helmet to stare at him in a daze, unable to speak.

"What do you want?" Kayla faced Schmidt, shaking as she stood her ground. "Let me have my son back."

"I want your formula." Schmidt said simply, staring into Kayla's soul. "You're the only person who can do it."

Kayla opened her mouth to sass him, but Wanda's voice slurred in her head.

_He's about to kill your son Kayla. Give him what he wants and we can figure something out._

Kayla glared at Schmidt, slowly crossing the room to grab her briefcase. She popped it open and took out the syringe of blue liquid, holding it out to Schmidt, but pulling it away before he could take it. "My son."

Schmidt kept his eyes locked onto Kayla's as he flipped his wrist and James's soul was sucked back into his body. He groaned and sputtered, his chest aching from where Schmidt had hit him. The man wasn't outright trying to kill them, he was trying to make them suffer, "Mom! Don't-"

Kayla broke her gaze to look at her son, but Schmidt grabbed her wrist and pulled her close, causing James to stumble to his feet in an attempt to get closer, but Wanda held him back with a shield. Schmidt leaned close to Kayla, holding the wrist that held the syringe, "One isn't enough. I'm going to need four." Schmidt used his free hand to point to Kayla, "One," moved his bony finger to point at James, "Two," then he twisted her left hand holding the syringe, gesturing to her wedding ring with the part of his face where his nose should be, "Three." Then Schmidt reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of dog tags with a ring on it. He smiled wickedly, "And this makes four super soldiers who need to be eradicated."

Kayla watched the dog tags fall to the floor between them, feeling her heart beating out of her chest. The anti-serum in her hand was created to kill Hydra. It wouldn't kill Steve. It wouldn't kill Bucky. It may not even kill James. But it was strong enough to kill her if Schmidt decided to use it on her. James tried to steady himself as Schmidt squeezed Kayla's wrist, but she was strong, too.

"I'm waiting. He's right there. You come with me and I'll let him live." Schmidt's eyes studied James for a moment, seeing more of his reckless mother than his devoted father in the boy, "He could live without the serum. I'll make you that promise. You can save your son's life."

Kayla lunged toward the syringe, pulling off the cap with her teeth. Wanda darted forward, but Schmidt blasted her back as Kayla and Schmidt struggled with the vial. Kayla's arm flexed beneath her tank top, fighting to get the vial away from the Red Skull. She dug her boots into the ground, using every ounce of her strength to try and save her family from the Nazi's plans.

"No!" James charged forward, knocking Schmidt back with ten times the amount of strength that he'd hit the kid on the football field. Schmidt landed on his back and James pummeled him mercilessly until Morgan used her suit to pull him off of the man in the knick of time, because the Red Skull produced the syringe with a wicked smile. "Thank you my boy! I'll start with one." He turned to Kayla, who fell to the ground panting, "I know where to find you when I'm ready for more." Schmidt hit a button and a helicopter came down from the sky, blowing air through the open door as it landed on the grass.

As Schmidt prepared to leave, he waved his hand in front of Morgan's face, "You're coming with me." Morgan's eyes glowed gold and she nodded, her suit disappearing into her watch as she followed him out of the house. James grabbed her arm, but she pulled away, following in a trance to the helicopter. Wanda froze James's feet so he couldn't follow and he glared at her bitterly as Schmidt reached the chopper.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I brought a gift for you!" Schmidt yelled, reaching into the helicopter and pulling out Steve's shield, chucking it as hard as he could through the door, and slicing through the doorframe before crashing onto the floor at Kayla's feet.

Sarah carefully rounded the kitchen door to see the carnage, "Mom?"

Kayla wailed loudly as she crumpled over onto Captain America's shield. Sarah knelt beside her mother, holding her arms tight as James panted above her, watching the Red Skull take Morgan away. He looked to his mom, wishing she'd tell him he'd done something good. Wishing she'd thank him for _saving_ her, "Mom, I- he was going to-"

"No, honey, he was trying to get it away from me. I was trying to take the anti-serum." Kayla managed to explain quietly, unable to meet her son's devastated expression, "Honey, he's going to come back for me." James shoved back his hair, but it fell back over his face in a messy heap. He didn't know how to respond.

Tony came down the stairs to see Morgan missing and Peter Parker crumpled on the floor. "What? No. No no no, what the fuck happened here?" Tony knelt next to the man as MJ let out a devastated wail, falling to the ground and draping her arms over him. Tony looked to Wanda, who just lowered her head sadly, "Wanda, what happened? Where the hell is my daughter?"

"He was gone before Schmidt even got through the door. I think he used the Soul Stone," Wanda explained sadly and Sarah looked up in terror as the Scarlet Witch continued, "He tried to kill James. He threatened Kayla. He tried to take her, but James intervened. He used his power to take Morgan, and he left these." Wanda gestured to the shield that Kayla cried over.

Tessa saw the dog tags near the shield and shoved past Tony and MJ, sliding to her knees as she picked them up and held them to her chest, "He has them?" Kayla nodded, tears steaming down her face like a summer rain. Tessa let out a pained cry as she fell back onto her ass, seeing everything she'd fought for with Bucky vanish in a heartbeat. The family they were trying so hard to have, the little house with the white picket fence? All gone. "What do we do now?"

Kayla sniffled, looking up through the sliced doorframe as she held the shield tightly in her arms, "I have no idea."


	99. Chapter 99

Tony paced back and forth, occasionally running his fingers through his silver hair and exhaling loudly. Sarah sat on the couch with her brother on the floor next to her, resting his back against the cushions. He'd undone the front of his black suit, allowing himself to breathe as he panicked. MJ went to go stay with her parents and son, dreading how she would explain to Ben what happened to his father.

Wanda leaned against the wall, watching Tony pace, wondering if she should try and use her magic to comfort the women on the floor. Tessa leaned against Kayla's shoulder, staring ahead blankly as Kayla traced the silver star in the center of Captain America's shield. An hour had passed and nobody had spoken. There was nothing to say.

"Kayla." Wanda finally said, drawing the blonde's attention away from the shield. Once she had Kayla's attention, Wanda murmured, "What do you want to do?"

Tony looked over at Wanda, but the Scarlet Witch put up her index finger, telling him to give her a moment. Kayla looked up at the wall past Wanda, breathing heavily through her mouth as she considered her answer. After bopping her head in a little nod, she turned to face Wanda and Tony, "I want to go after them. If we don't, nobody will."

Wanda nodded, turning to Tony, "Let's assemble the team."

"Whatever it takes." Tony muttered, and Kayla pushed herself to her feet. Tess looked up at her through tear-stained eyes and nodded.

"I'm coming too."

"What? No. No, you're going to stay with the kids." Kayla ordered as she latched her hands onto her hips.

James leapt to his feet and charged toward his mother, grabbing her upper arms as she tried to turn away from him, "Mom, no, you aren't leaving me. I'm going. We're going to get them back, together."

"Yeah, James is right, we're going." Sarah stood and crossed her arms across her chest, but noticed that James had narrowed her eyes at her. She groaned loudly, "Really? You can go, but I can't?"

"Yeah. I'm a super soldier. That thing sucked your serum right out of you in the womb. So you can stay with Aunt Tessa." James snapped and Kayla cleared her throat to get her son's attention.

Tessa lifted her hand, waiting for someone to call on her so she could say what was on her mind. Kayla turned from her son and looked to Tessa and the brunette smiled sadly, "I'm going. He has my husband, and to be honest, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"So it's settled! We're all going!" Sarah exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as Kayla began to talk over her, "No, Mom, I'm going. I have to." She sighed, closing her eyes to summon the memory, "They said it has to be me. I'm the only one who can fight him."

"Oh. Okay. Now you're really not going." Kayla warned, but Sarah reached out and grabbed her mother's arms, pleading her to listen.

"I have the same power as him. I can help. I just need to learn how to use it."

"I'll teach her." Kayla's and Sarah's heads snapped at Wanda's voice. The redhead straightened her red leather jacket, "We can work on it while you figure out where they are. I'll call in reinforcements."

"From SHIELD? Those people who kidnapped me?" James stared at Wanda, but she just grinned.

"The Enchantress kidnapped you. SHIELD wanted to use you. But the Avengers will never betray you. I know this." Wanda told James and he softened a little, turning to his mother. Wanda lifted her chin, waiting for Kayla's decision, "Kay. You ran headfirst into a lot of fights you had no business in. You know you'll die if you go alone. Who does that benefit?"

Kayla's eyes shifted between her children, her best friend, and her former teammates. "What if we lose? What happens if we can't fix this?"

Tony approached Kayla with weary footsteps, bending down slowly to pick up Cap's shield and hand it to her, "Whatever happens, we do it together as a team. Your husband taught me that."

Kayla looked down, seeing Zawadi panting up at her excitedly. "Alright." Kayla said, her determination growing as she stared out the broken doorway, "Let's get moving."

* * *

Red Skull stormed through the old office building, using his power to find where Amora was tormenting the veterans while Morgan walked behind him in a trance. When Schmidt walked through the archway, he found the Enchantress zapping shackles onto Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, trapping them against the wall of the glass cages she'd created for them as they struggled.

She turned to Schmidt with an excited glimmer in her eyes, but her excitement fell when she saw Morgan, "That's not the wife."

"It's Iron Man's daughter. She's just as good." Schmidt grumbled as he gestured for Morgan to enter a glass cage beside Bucky.

Amora pouted, sticking her red painted lip out as she glared at Red Skull, "I want to play with his wife. It's not fun if she isn't here. I want to crush her soul and kill her children."

Steve paled at the woman's words, and would have cried out if it weren't for the gag in his mouth. He looked to Bucky, only to find him staring daggers at the Enchantress with a bitter resignation. Being held captive wasn't a new feeling for Barnes.

Amora blasted the glass box and trapped Morgan inside, snapping her out of her trance the moment she was sealed in. "Let me out of here!" She screamed as she pounded on the glass. She backed away and tapped repeatedly on her band, trying to bring her suit to life, but nothing happened.

"Tech scrambler. Your suit won't work here. Fun, right? I'm learning." Amora cooed as she slunk her way along the glass cages, studying her prey, "Who should I play with first?" She suddenly gasped excitedly, remembering something very interesting and she swung around to address Schmidt, her long hair flinging over her shoulder. She adjusted her green headpiece, clasping her hands together hopefully, "Did you get it?"

Schmidt brandished the vial of anti-serum and was answered by a slew of wide eyes. Steve started trying to rip the chains off the wall while Amora laughed loudly, clapping her hands as she reached for it.

"Oohhh, gimme gimme!" She giggled, staring at the blue liquid like it was a better present than Kayla. "So it'll take their strength?"

"Yes." Red Skull answered simply, staring Steve dead in the eye, "But it's only one dose. She tried to use it in a sad attempt to kill herself so I couldn't get more out of her." Steve's expression fell, so Schmidt smiled grandly, "At first I was disappointed I couldn't use it on all of them, but then I realized," He paused, looking from Steve to Barnes, "There are other ways of torture."

"You can't do this. They'll stop you. You won't get away with this-" Morgan yelled before Amora twisted her wrist and a gag appeared in her mouth. She screamed into the cloth as she flew to the back wall, shackled up same as Bucky and Steve.

"Thank you! It's so hard to get any good work done with all the squawking and the yelling and the crying." Amora mocked, looking to Steve, "But the girl is right. They'll come. _She'll_ come for him." Amora grinned, her teeth almost sharp as they sparkled, "I wanna see what happens. Do it."

Steve swallowed down his fear as Schmidt approached him with the needle exposed. This was it. Time after time Steve Rogers dodged death on every battlefield he stepped foot on, but it would be the very thing that gave him this life that would take it away. Amora dropped the wall as Schmidt reached him, the blonde Enchantress beaming like a jackal while Bucky watched in terror as the Red Skull pulled the neckline of his suit aside and plunged the needle into his neck, draining all the liquid before pulling away.

"Let him go. I want to watch him writhe as Erskine's serum is drained from him." Amora made the shackles and the gag disappear as the glass wall reappeared. Steve stumbled forward onto his hands and knees, gasping for breath as his body betrayed him.

He let out a pained yell as he felt his muscles shrink and his bones become more brittle. Steve felt closer to the ground as he shrunk and his lungs seem to deplete of air without hope of getting it back. His arms began to shake as the years began to catch up with him. He was getting older.

"Oh, that's no fun. We have to wait for wifey for that." Amora hummed and waved her hand at him, sucking away his years until he looked up at her with bright, youthful eyes that seemed too big for his small face. "That's better. She'll be so happy to see you. So _cute_." Amora purred as Steve snarled at her, but he couldn't get up. The Enchantress turned her sights on Bucky and the man stared at her with dead eyes, wondering what horrors she held for him since Schmidt wasn't able to get any more serum from Kayla. Having Zola's super soldier serum drained from his system would be a happy blessing, but he wouldn't be so lucky.

Amora bat her eyelashes at Bucky, twisting her lips to the side thoughtfully, "Oh, I know! You know what will be _so much_ fun? When your friends come, _you_ can kill them!" She chirped, dropping the glass wall and the shackles as Schmidt blasted Bucky, rendering him emotionless as Amora giggled and led him away from Steve and Morgan, "Let's go, Sergeant Barnes. I have a lot of hard work to undo."

"Schmidt, let him go. It's me you want. I'm on my knees. I'm powerless, one good punch I'll be gone. End this and let my friends and family be." Steve pleaded, pushing himself to his feet to lean against the glass. Schmidt seemed to consider his proposition, studying the frail man before him.

"It's not enough just to kill you." He said quietly, his voice so soft and calm it made Steve quiver, but that might have just been his weakened legs. The Red Skull approached the glass, looking down at Steve Rogers with a condescending smirk, "I want to tear you apart. I wanted you to lose your strength not because I thought it would bother you, but because it'll break you when you aren't strong enough to save your family and friends."

Steve hung his head, his hair falling over his young face as Schmidt moved over to Morgan. "And you. Such a beautiful girl. It's no wonder his son is taken with you. You should have seen his face when I took you away." Morgan forced herself to stay emotionless, even though she wanted to cry out all her frustrations as the Red Skull taunted her, "Lucky you, I don't have any plans for your destruction. I don't really care what happens to you and your father, so we'll just see what we come up with when the time comes.

Steve, Morgan, and Schmidt all looked up at the same time and toward the direction Amora had taken Bucky when an anguished scream radiated down the hall. When the Red Skull turned back to Morgan, his teeth were bared in a wicked smile, "Actually, I know just the way to get rid of you."

Morgan squirmed against her binds, screaming as Schmidt walked away, leaving her and Steve alone to wait on whatever horrors awaited their saviors.

Steve allowed himself to slide down the glass, letting his face fall into his hand to weep. After a few moments of sobbing, he felt his lungs constrict and became harder to breathe. His suit didn't fit anymore, and it hung heavy against his small frame. He wished the nano tech would work so he could make it smaller, but Steve didn't even want to wear the star on his chest anymore. It would just remind him that he was on borrowed time, and he was only allowed to live now so he could watch his family die later.

It was Kayla's fault. She took the Soul Stone, but it was Steve's fault, too. She was drawn to it, and he ignored it, more worried about his duty as Captain America to see that the stone was overtaking his wife. He should have checked again. He shouldn't have let her go to Vormir. He shouldn't have left her, because then they could have defeated Schmidt at the gala years ago. Steve should have been more present for Kayla, but maybe it wouldn't have mattered. Maybe it wasn't meant for her.

Maybe the Soul Stone was meant for his daughter.

* * *

Back at the Parker house, Tony was tracking Morgan's suit, finding its location until it shorted out. "I've got a hit on them. At least I hope I do. This is where her suit went dark." He pointed to a spot on a hologram and Tessa stared up at it hopefully, clinging to the dog tags around her neck.

Suddenly, Sarah doubled over in pain, holding her stomach as she leaned forward on the couch. She let out a sharp gasp and her brother was kneeling beside her in an instant.

"Sarah? Sarah what's wrong? What's happening?" He asked as Kayla came sprinting into the room to kneel beside James.

"Honey? Honey talk to me, what's happening?" Kayla pressed, and Wanda wiggled her fingers behind the girl's head, drawing her thoughts before gasping. Kayla looked up at Wanda and the redhead met her gaze with fearful eyes, "What did you see?"

"You can see something?" Sarah groaned, leaning into her brother's shoulder as he rubbed her back, looking up at Wanda expectantly, but Wanda just shook her head, leaning forward and flooding Sarah's mind with happy thoughts to take her mind off of the pain. Sarah hissed, pressing her fingers to her temples to rub her head as Wanda worked to soothe her. "Can you see people's memories?" Sarah asked over her shoulder, but Wanda shook her head.

"I can see people's thoughts. I can create visions and I have telekinesis. But I can't access someone's memories... Can you?" She pressed and Sarah nodded a little, feeling the pain subside.

"Did you see something?" Kayla asked again, her stone cold gaze stuck on Wanda, but her pupils were dilated as the woman just shook her head again. Kayla narrowed her eyes, mumbling, "I don't believe you."

"The Soul Stone is a very odd energy source." Wanda said quietly, stroking the back of Sarah's long hair, "Carol has immense power and strength, I have the power to manipulate minds and objects, but you, your gifts are something much more personal. I drew power from my fear for so long. You'll draw power from the people around you."

"I'm jealous that I don't have magic powers." James chuckled, mostly to make his sister feel better and she grinned up at him. "Did you see something? I know you've seen flashes before. And you see people sometimes..."

"It wasn't like that. It was just pain, all throughout my body. Like it was burning from the inside out." Sarah explained to James, noticing the way her mother clenched her eyes shut and turned her face away, trying to shut out whatever emotion she was feeling. Sarah decided not to bring it up. "But I don't know where it came from."

Kayla looked up at Wanda with watery eyes and Wanda smiled sadly, so Kayla nodded a little. "I do. We have to go. I'm the only one who can fix this."


	100. Chapter 100

"Alright, Tess, you and the kids are back up. Stay in the vents. Be our eyes on the inside, and if anything happens to us, you relay it to the reinforcements, okay?" Kayla ordered and Tess nodded, still toying with the dog tags around her neck nervously. Kayla looked to her kids and they nodded, as much of a confirmation that she was going to get. "Tony, Wanda, and I will see if we can straight up overpower and get them out. Today is about saving Bucky, Steve, and Morgan. The others can take out Red Skull and Amora. We don't have the man power for it yet."

"When will backup be here?" James questioned, playing with the hologram dial to design his own suit. He played with variations of the Captain America suit in Tony's archives, posing dramatically when his nano tech formed into Steve's suit from the Battle of New York. He turned around, admiring his backside in the full-length mirror by the front door.

Sarah rolled her eyes and played with her own vibranium suit, changing the colors from blue to red to purple, eventually settling on a red suit with black trim look. She stretched her calf, trying to get used to the small-heeled boots, but trusted her mother when she said they helped. "At the rate you're taking to decide on a uniform, they'll have it all mopped up before we even get there." Sarah snapped and her brother placed his hand on her face and gently shoved her away.

James continued to change the settings, finally settling on a simple grey stealth version of the suit that the archives listed as SHIELD prototype. He looked back toward the couch, clearing his throat to get his mom's attention before they left, "Should we bring that?" He pointed to the shield. Kayla looked from the shield to her son, then smiled proudly, going over to pick it up. James watched as she approached, running her fingers along the edges of it fondly. James pushed it away, murmuring, "I think you should use it. You might need it, and if- when you find Dad, he'll need it."

Kayla hummed to herself, bopping a little at the idea, "See, I was kind of thinking you could take it. It would mean a lot to your dad, to see you with it." Kayla explained, her sad tone catching James off guard. He took the shield as she handed it to him though, and she grabbed his glove and pushed a button, causing the magnets in his left arm to attach to the metal. "This is a weapon. It's killed more people than most guns, so it's not a toy. But if you need to use it, use it with everything you've got." Kayla pressed her index finger to the silver star on James's chest, "You've got the good stuff inside you. Make Johann Schmidt wish he'd never met the likes of James Rogers."

James puffed out his chest with pride and his mom reached up and rustled his hair, before leading him to the mini van they were taking instead of better transportation. Tony pulled the seat belt across his chest as James hopped into the passenger seat. "Um, hi?"

"I am the Captain now."

"The hell you aren't! Kayla, control your child." Tony yelled into the backseat as James situated the shield at his feet. Kayla just waved Tony off as James buckled up, and Tony resigned himself to having the boy as a copilot. He turned to James, sizing him up, "You get my daughter out of there, you understand me?"

"Yes, sir." James said with a grin and Tony smiled back, grabbing and squeezing his shoulder.

"Let's go get our family back."

* * *

Morgan had never felt more guilty in her life, because she was sure she cried more in that glass case than she had when her own mother had died. There was just something about knowing that she was about to be murdered in some gruesome way that made her weep uncontrollably. That and her father was probably on his way to rescue her, meaning he'd probably be killed in some horrific way, too. Aunt Kayla would certainly come, and the Enchantress was gunning for her life.

And James. Sweet, confident, gentle James who looked at Morgan like she put the stars in the sky. She was pretty sure he'd come too, which made her heart ache. It wasn't fair. None of them deserved to die, but the hero game was a dangerous one. Their parents chose it. They were born into it.

Morgan had given up on struggling hours ago, simply allowing the tears to flow down her cheeks as her arms were shackled above her head. She'd gone limp, allowing herself to hang from her arms to give her aching legs a rest. She could taste her own tears on the cloth gag, making her sick to her stomach from all the salt.

Suddenly though, she heard metal on metal scraping above her and she lifted her head toward the source of the noise. She straightened up to see an air vent being pulled aside, then sleek dark blue shape fell from the ceiling and landed on her feet in front of Morgan. Through her gag she yelped, "Aunt Kayla!"

"Shhh, we're gonna get you out of here." Kayla whispered, looking at the glass box, then looking to the side to see several more divided by black walls. When Kayla looked back at Morgan, the girl looked almost apologetic, but Kayla already knew. "Wanda." Kayla hissed upward and the Scarlet Witch floated down before using her power to carefully slide the grate back into place. She looked to Kayla, then floated toward the door to try and get a lay of the building for possible escape.

Kayla moved from Morgan's glass cage to the next, finding it empty, except for broken shackles on the ground. She felt her stomach plummet, scared to think why it was empty. But she moved on, taking a few heavy steps past the black wall, and she fell to her knees when she reached the next glass box, pressing her hand to it as she stared at her husband sadly.

Steve threw himself to the ground to sit across from her, pressing his bony hands to the glass in an attempt to get closer, "Kay, I'm so sorry. I-"

Kayla leaned her forehead against the glass and Steve did the same on the other side as she murmured softly, "Shh, this is my fault. I did this. I created this, and I'm going to get you out of this and get you fixed up and everything is going to be okay."

"Get out of here Kayla, he's dangerous." Steve hissed, looking up when he caught a glimpse of movement, but realized it was only Wanda, "I love you, and I'm asking you to go."

"And I'm telling you that I won't." Kayla studied him, a genuine smile growing on her face, despite the tears in her eyes, "Look at you."

"I'd rather you didn't-" Steve argued, but Kayla just beamed at him lovingly.

"But you're so handsome. And so young." Kayla told him sincerely, taken back to her time in the forties with young, skinny Steve Rogers. Seeing him again ignited something in her that she'd forgotten, and she remembered why everyone looked up to Captain America. He didn't give up. "We can't leave until Schmidt is dead."

"And by we you mean you and Wanda, right?" Steve questioned. Surely his wife wouldn't bring his children to infiltrate a madman's hideout on a suicide mission...

All of a sudden another dark blue figure fell from the vent and landed on his feet, catching Kayla's attention from where she knelt. She narrowed her eyes and Steve knew that look, "You didn't."

Kayla turned back, batting her eyelashes sweetly, "I needed backup."

When James saw Morgan, he looked her up and down, seeing her tired and weak, "Morgan, are you okay?" She shook her head back and forth and he pounded his fist against the glass, causing it to crack.

"Shhh." Kayla and Steve hissed together, and James moved away from Morgan to see his father.

When he saw where his mother sat, his knees practically gave out at the sight, "Dad?"

"Hey, Kiddo." Steve told him with a brave smile. "I look a little different, huh?" James nodded, unable to form words, but feeling a piece of his heart break. Steve saw the devastation on his face and the shield strapped to the back of the stealth suit. "That mine?"

"Yeah, do you want it back?" James asked quickly, producing the shield but his father shook his head.

"Can't do much with it now."

"Hush." Kayla chastised her husband, rising to stand with her son, "This isn't permanent. You know I can fix this, if you want me to." Kayla added and Steve sighed, smirking a little as he wondered whether his wife liked him more this way.

"I can get you out." James said confidently as he backed up, bopping back and forth on his heels as he magnetized the shield.

"Oh, no honey, no..." Kayla warned, trying to stop him, but James swung at the glass with all his might, sending it shattering over his father's head. Kayla lifted her hands, seeing Steve was free, but the noise had been deafening. "James!" She hissed, looking at a stunned Wanda, "We're trying to sneak out!"

"Oh. Shit." James darted back toward Morgan and slammed the shield through her glass as she looked away. He quickly scrambled over to her and looked at the shackles, squawking to his parents, "What do I do?"

"Use the shield!" Steve and Kayla called in unison as Kayla helped steady Steve on his feet. James clenched his teeth and smashed the shield against the shackle on her foot. Once realizing he could crack the metal, he did the same with the others. Kayla quickly came to his side and pried the metal pieces apart until Morgan fell into James's arms.

"Hey, hey are you okay?" He asked quickly as he pulled the gag from her mouth and smoothed back her hair. She nodded rapidly and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.

Kayla looked up, then looked back to Wanda, "Any sign of them?"

"No. And that's what worries me." Wanda muttered back, looking up at the vent. "You want to move together or send them away?"

"Um, we're still fucking missing someone." Tessa called as she slid out of the vent and James caught her before she could hit the ground. She wiggled out of his arms and balked when she saw Steve. "Wha-" The air was sucked out of her lungs at the sight, "Steve?" Tessa shook her head, her braid whipping her face as she forced away the shock, "Where is Bucky?"

"That's complicated." Morgan said quickly, looking at Steve in terror. Steve grabbed Tessa and pulled her into a hug, which only caused the woman to sob uncontrollably, wondering what they had done to her husband if they'd reverted Steve back to his sickly self. Morgan raised her hand slightly, trying to get their attention, "To clarify, he's not dead, but if we don't get moving, we will be."

"James!" He looked up in time to see his sister pull the same stunt Tessa did and he caught her in his arms. He quickly deposited his sister on the ground and Steve wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. She was stunned, patting his back awkwardly as she realized he was barely taller than her, "Dad?"

"As I've been saying, it's not permanent. Nothing is permanent, let's go." Kayla growled, trying to lure them toward the back door to escape.

Tessa threw her hands to the side and Kayla threw her head back and groaned, "Tess-"

"Don't 'Tess me', I'm not leaving. You can go. Like, honestly, take your kids, your husband, and Morgan, and go." Tessa waved her hands at Kayla and the blonde looked to her husband, already knowing he wasn't leaving either.

"He came for me. I'm not leaving him."

Kayla sighed, knowing her husband couldn't do a whole lot to help, but that he'd try until his dying breath, "I know."

Steve wanted to reach out and hold his wife, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't bring himself to feel how he fit with her now. Now that he wasn't her precious Captain America. Steve wanted to protect his family and save his best friend, but Schmidt was right. Not being able to protect them was worse than death.

"This is a trap." Wanda finally said, backing away from the windows. She threw up a force field moments before bullets came firing through the wall of the room next door.

Sarah ducked into her father's arm as James threw up the shield to protect his mother and Morgan. Kayla glared at Tessa, "How are you gonna fix that, Little Miss Hopeless Romantic?"

Tessa looked around in panic as she stuck by Kayla's side, "I don't know, but I'm not leaving him. I'll figure something out." Kayla sighed, nodding as she told her friend alright.

All of a sudden, Wanda was thrust back against the far wall, metal gloves covering her hands to keep her from using her magic. She snarled at the force that waltzed into the room with the Winter Soldier at her side. Amora stopped and cocked her hip, smiling grandly at the sight before her as Bucky aimed his rifle at the group now that Wanda was tied up.

"This. This is better than I hoped for. I am _so excited_ to destroy all of you." Amora called out, clapping her hands together as she scanned over her new arrivals until her eyes landed on Kayla behind her son. "Kayla... ugh, how stunning! With the blonde hair and the outfit, you really look like Mrs. Captain America! I wonder where he went?" Her eyes landed on Steve and he clenched his jaw, forcing his daughter behind him. Amora rolled her eyes, finally looking James up and down hungrily, "You look like fun, though. I want to play with you."

"Over my dead body." Kayla lunged forward but James held the shield out in front of her, earning a death glare from his mother. Morgan tapped her band, realizing her suit still wasn't working.

"James, I can't power up my suit." Morgan growled under her breath as James looked over his shoulder to meet her eyes. "I don't know what to do."

"Oh, oh, I do! I do!" Amora raised her hand, appearing right in front of James, Kayla, and Morgan. She took a long step toward them as Kayla peeled away, darting over to Steve and Sarah. "I think we should play a game. Now when we play games, we have to divide up into teams right? So I think we should have teams as follows." Amora looked over her shoulder and hummed, studying Kayla and her family before turning back to James and Morgan, "We'll have the regular, boring humans play dodge the sniper! Bye!" She called as she made Tessa and Morgan disappear before snapping her fingers at Bucky, causing him to turn and head back toward the hallway to find them.

"Morgan!" James yelped as he looked around, realizing she was gone, "What did you do to them?"

"They're playing their game! Don't worry sweetheart, I have a special game for you, but we'll get to that." Amora promised, pressing her finger to the Captain America shield and making it vanish from his arm and reappear on Steve's. Steve stumbled forward a step from the weight of his shield and Amora laughed at him, "Okay, okay, so next up, we'll have the team of sad, sickly Rogers who have finally reverted back to their intended form! Amazing! The family bloodline has been restored. Have fun with Schmidty!" Amora called as Steve and Sarah vanished into thin air, leaving only Kayla and James to face off with Amora as Wanda struggled in her binds.

Kayla reached out for James to come to her, but Amora cut them off, swinging to turn on Kayla like a panther circling its prey, "And our final team, the love struck heroes who boldly jump into the fray to protect the people they love, despite the consequences it can have for anyone else! Like you setting Red Skull free to resurrect Natasha, or you punting that kid across the football field to impress Stark's daughter." Amora cooed, yanking James forward so he was next to her. She grabbed his chin and put her finger up to stop Kayla when she lunged forward, "Uh uh uh. Take a step closer and I'll use your son to demonstrate what The Enchantress can really do."

"Let him go." Kayla said evenly, eyes meeting her son's as he squirmed in Amora's grip, "I know you have it out for me, but leave him out of this."

Amora laughed, squeezing James's face harder before letting him go, taking one long step toward Kayla, "Let the games begin."


	101. Chapter 101

Morgan and Tessa fell from the ceiling and crashed against the hard concrete floor of the basement. Tessa groaned and rolled over, turning onto her hands and knees as she looked up, "What the hell?"

"Asgardian Enchantress. Magical, isn't she?" Morgan snarled, then looked up at the sound of heavy footsteps overhead. "She took your husband and he never came back. I think they reverted him back to his Winter Soldier programming."

"Yeah, I had the slightest feeling that was the case when he tried to gun us all down." Tessa hissed, putting her hand up to Morgan as the footsteps grew closer to the stairwell. "He's coming for us."

"What do we do? Does he have, like, a off switch or something?" Morgan questioned as she tugged Tessa to her feet and they moved around one of the massive cream storage crates to hide. Morgan picked up a heavy piece of pipe and lifted it up and down, trying to get a sense of how hard she could swing it.

Tess grabbed the pipe and pulled it down, but Morgan kept her grip on it. "He doesn't have an off switch, he's not a robot, he just has a metal arm! And you aren't going to bash his brains in, he's under some kind of a spell. He's still my husband."

"He. Is. Going. To. Kill. Us." Morgan said slowly, punctuating every word with her fingers together in an effort to make Tessa understand the gravity of the situation. "And I have no suit! Look!" Morgan tapped away on her band, but nothing happened. "What do you expect us to do?"

"The Avengers are on their way, your dad is in contact with them now, that's why he's not here." Tessa explained and Morgan looked around the crate when she heard footsteps coming down the stairwell. "Also they have some sort of tech scrambler on the building." Tessa added quickly moments before the door to the basement was kicked from its hinges, smashing into the opposite wall with a deafening clang.

Morgan leaned her head against the crate, looking up to the ceiling as she breathed heavily, "We're going to die."

"No. We just have to stay alive long enough for help to arrive." Tessa hissed, fiddling with the lock and finding it undone. "How hard can you throw that pipe?"

Morgan looked to Tessa questioningly as the small woman peeked around the crate, finding Bucky looking around a crate opposite the door. "On my signal, chuck it as hard as you can over there, okay?" Tessa pointed beyond their crate, hoping it would lure him in the wrong direction. Once Bucky was facing the opposite direction, Tessa hissed, "Now."

Morgan threw the pipe as hard as she could over the crates, causing a loud clanging that covered up the sound of Tessa opening the crate and shoving Morgan inside before sliding it closed. She pulled out her phone, trying to turn on the flashlight to look around. Morgan grabbed it from her hand, flipping it over and sliding open the back before shifting several of the levers, then getting the light to turn on.

Tessa looked at Morgan curiously, but the girl just shrugged and whispered quietly, "Dad let me play with his tech. This phone is so old the tech scrambler probably doesn't effect it."

"Cool. Thanks." Tessa deadpanned, then shoved her hand over Morgan's mouth. She used her free hand to put her index finger up to her mouth, carefully shoving her phone in her pocket so the light would diminish. Morgan's eyes followed the light at the bottom of the crate, seeing the shadow of the Winter Soldier passing in front of them.

They held their breath, seeing him pause in front of them for a moment too long for comfort. Finally, he continued moving and Morgan swallowed, shifting ever so slightly until her foot bumped something metal. She clenched her teeth and grimaced, praying the Winter Soldier didn't hear her blunder, but if Tessa's petrified expression was any indication, she'd given their hiding spot away.

Tessa carefully pulled out her phone again, shining the light on the ground to reveal that they were standing among boxes of explosives. She looked up and mouthed 'shit' to Morgan as the girl very slowly knelt down to pick up one of the grenades and study it. She tilted it side to side as Tessa grabbed a crowbar from atop one of the boxes and wedged it into the doors. "That won't keep him for long, if at all." Tessa muttered under her breath, jumping when the sound of vibranium smacking one of the crates echoed through the basement. "What should we do?"

"Make a run for it?"

"He's too fast, too strong. There's no escaping him." Tessa mumbled, hearing vibranium against metal again. "He's getting closer."

Morgan looped her finger through the pin of the grenade and backed up carefully so she was almost to the doors at the front of the crate. "How close?"

The sound of the Winter Soldier's metal hand clenching the handles gave Morgan her answer and she prepared to pull the pin. The Winter Soldier ripped the doors away, using his right hand to reach in for Morgan. Morgan pulled the pin and and dropped the grenade, yanking the door back from the Winter Soldier as he realized what was happening. The Winter Soldier grabbed Tessa and moved back a few steps, using her a shield as the grenade rolled a few feet from the crate before going off and sending Bucky and Tessa flying backwards from the crate. Morgan pushed open the door to see the man lift his metal hand, studying it for damage as the vibranium plates shifted back into place.

Morgan scrambled out of the crate, taking off running as fast as she could while he stood and began stalking the younger girl, leaving Tessa without a second thought. Bucky's heavy footsteps chased Morgan toward the stairs, and she slipped in a futile effort to push herself to go faster. When she flipped onto her back she found him hovering over her, reaching down with his right hand.

He clenched her throat and lifted her up as she clamped her hands onto his forearm in an attempt to keep him from separating her head from her body. Morgan kicked out at him, but he didn't feel a thing beneath his vibranium blue vest. "Tess!" She choked out, praying the woman was still alive. "Help. Me."

Morgan began to fade, lilting her head as it became harder to breathe. Her eyelids began to droop and she let go of his arm, allowing herself to go limp.

Tessa finally pushed herself to her feet, seeing what her husband was doing, "Bucky, please! Don't do this!" She cried, stumbling into the wall as pain shot down her spine. The assassin lifted his head to look at her, but didn't let go of the girl, so Tessa forced herself a few steps forward. "James Buchanan Barnes. That's your name, do you remember it? Do you remember me? Your wife?"

He faltered a moment, squishing his face in confusion as Tessa cried out, unable to stand anymore. "If you kill her, you can never come back." Tessa wept and he took one step toward her, eyes wide and disoriented as Morgan groaned and reached back up to his arm. Tessa gasped, feeling the pain radiate through her, but this was working. She swallowed hard, lifting her hand from her stomach to find it covered in blood. "Come back to me, Bucky."

He looked up, dropping Morgan and stomping toward Tessa with his steely eyes blown out, "I have to complete my mission, by any means necessary."

"Then finish it, soldier." Tessa groaned, leaning her head back against the wall to look up at him as he reached her. She tugged the dog tags and his ring from her neck, snapping the chain and holding it out for him. She smiled sadly, finally understanding what it must have felt like for Bucky to be under Hydra's control all those years. Perhaps he'd never come out of it, and he'd never realize what he did. Tessa didn't wish that for her husband, but she knew it would numb the pain. He reached toward her with that vibranium hand and Tessa stared at it with her big brown eyes, resigned to her fate. "I guess it's the end of the line."

Bucky pulled his arm back quickly and she lulled her head back to look up at his bewildered expression, "What did you just say?"

As Tessa tried to think of a way to explain why that struck Bucky, something fast and dark tackled him from behind and they rolled away from her. Tessa blew out the breath she'd been holding and let her head droop, knowing the cavalry had finally arrived.

The Winter Soldier rolled to his feet to face off against the Black Panther as the warrior brandished his claws. "We can help you, Sergeant Barnes. We did once before, and we can do it again." Before Bucky could retaliate, another Wakandan landed beside the first, lowering his mask to reveal King T'Challa.

"Where is your friend?"

Bucky charged the first man, pummeling him to the ground as T'Challa turned to Tessa, reaching out for her to take his hand. "You'll need medical attention."

"I need my husband to be okay." Tessa groaned as T'Challa helped her to her feet, allowing her to lean against him. "Please don't hurt him."

The Black Panther clawed at Bucky's vest, but Bucky kicked him away against a wall before turning back to Tessa and T'Challa. He started to charge toward his wife until the floor began to shake under his feet. He looked toward the door in time to see the frame get smashed away and the Hulk appear. Banner lumbered slowly forward, studying the Winter Soldier for the first time.

"Hey Buddy, I know things are a little confusing right now, but we'll get you sorted out. I just need you to come with me." Banner coaxed as Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang appeared on either side of him, striding forward to block him off. Kate had her bow and arrow ready, aimed at the soldier as they moved slowly toward him, waiting for Banner to make the call.

"No!" Bucky screamed and charged at Banner, catching Kate Bishop's arrow in midair with his left hand as he threw his body against the Hulk. Banner threw him off, but he landed on his feet and swung his head to the right, catching a glimpse of Sam Wilson crouching next to Morgan. "I have to complete my mission." Bucky strode forward, causing Morgan to cry out and try to crawl away. Sam stood quickly, but couldn't do anything to stop his former partner.

"Barnes!" Sam yelled before being hurled into the wall. "Stop!"

"Stay away from my daughter." Tony snarled as he appeared beyond the stairs. At the sight of Stark, Bucky straightened and changed his course. Tony saw the shift in his intentions and scuttled farther into the room toward Tessa and T'Challa, "Guys, what's he doing?"

"I have a mission to complete." Bucky repeated, picking up pace as both Black Panthers tackled him to the ground. The younger man clawed at his metal arm while his father kicked his stomach, shoving him back a few steps as Tessa leaned against Tony.

"The second panel from the top- right below his shoulder. Swipe it left twice and it'll unlatch." Tessa groaned as her legs shook and eventually gave out. Tony went down with her, holding her face with both hands as she panted, "It's how he switches out his arm. And a fail safe in case this ever happened again."

Tony stood as Sam latched onto Bucky's neck, trying to choke him as the Hulk held back his arms against the wall, but he yanked them free and used his leg to kick Banner away before ripping Sam over his head and turning back to Tony. "Shit."

"Language, Stark."

Tony looked up as a blast of gold smashed into the basement from the floor above, landing between him and the assassin. Carol's hair floated as she smiled at Barnes knowingly, smacking her wrists together and leaning into a fighting stance. "You all couldn't clean this up?"

"Second panel from the top." Tessa called as she closed her eyes, "Just, don't hurt him."

"Can't make any promises." Captain Marvel mumbled, launching off of her heels and smashing into Bucky to hold him down. Tony slid over to remove the vibranium arm, sliding it away as T'Challa leaned down and pressed a kimoyo bead to Bucky's neck as he settled into sleep.

"Stark, she's not doing so hot over here!" Sam called from where he sat with Morgan, the girl clenching his hand but barely able to stay awake. Tony sprinted towards his daughter, landing on his knees to cradle her as she leaned against him. Sam stood as Tony brushed down her hair, kissing her head and holding back tears.

Banner knelt beside Tessa and she smiled sadly at him, "I'm not optimistic about my chances."

"She's got metal embedded in her abdomen, she needs a hospital ASAP." Bruce called to the group and T'Challa leaned down beside Tessa, putting a kimoyo bead in her wound.

"To stabilize it until we can get her help." T'Challa said quietly as his son's mask faded away, revealing a young man in his twenties who watched the exchange in fear. At Tessa's weak smile, T'Challa introduced the boy, "My son, Amandla. The Black Panther." T'Challa motioned for his son to sit with Tessa, "I'll try to contact Shuri. She'll know what to do about Sergeant Barnes."

"But the tech scrambler-" Tessa mumbled against Amandla's shoulder, beginning to feel the ache in her gash subsiding from the technology.

"We were able to take it out with a little help from the King. We're back online." Sam explained with a smile, kneeling down to talk to Tessa, "Where are the others?"

"I- I don't know. Somewhere above us." Tessa hissed, "They used the anti-serum on Steve. You have to go after them."

Sam stood slowly, taking in this information before looking around to make a plan, "Captain- you, me, and Banner head upstairs to help Rogers. Kate and Cassie help Tony get Morgan and Tessa medical attention while T'Challa and his son stay here with Barnes."

"Sounds like a plan." Carol grinned, beginning to float above the ground when lightning struck the hole in the wall where she'd entered. "Looks like backup is here."

Thor surged forward with Stormbreaker in hand, staring down the Avengers with a smirk, "It has. But not for you."

Tony looked to Banner with a questioning gaze as Bruce spit out, "What?"

Thor started running forward, lifting Stormbreaker and bringing it down on the Hulk with Bruce holding it up as best he could, "Thor? What's the matter with you?"

"I can't let you leave, by any means necessary." Thor warned as T'Challa grabbed onto the demi-god to pull him off of Bruce, but he was quickly tossed away. Thor summoned lightning around the room, and the Avengers scattered in an attempt to evade the onslaught.

Kate looked to Cassie and groaned, "I expected a lot of shit from this mission, but sure as hell not this."


	102. Chapter 102

"Let the games begin."

Amora's fingers glowed green around her fingerless glove that she lifted, blowing the wisps to ignite them like a flame. Kayla lunged toward her and she reached forward to blast the woman, but Kayla ducked and slid into her legs instead, knocking the Enchantress to the ground.

"I don't like to lose." Kayla growled as she leaned on her knee, right leg stretched out as she watched Amora groan and push herself to her knees. The Asgardian wasn't prepared to receive such a wallop from the mortal. She used her magic to float upward, her thigh high boots eventually leaving the ground as she stared down at Kayla with wicked green eyes. Kayla launched off her knee and darted away just as Amora threw another blast toward her, leaving a hole in her place.

James dodged behind the shattered glass cages, unsure what to do. "Mom?" He called quietly, keeping his eyes trained on Amora. She turned to look at him and he pressed his back flat against the wall.

"Eyes on me. I'm the one you want." Kayla ran and leapt, grabbing Amora's boot and using her weight to bring her back down to Earth. Amora growled as Kayla scrambled to her feet and attempted to jump away, but from her seated position, Amora reached out to Kayla with an electric lasso, latching onto her wrist and pulling her back.

Kayla realized she was being captured and dug her heels into the floor, but she slipped on the shattered glass and fell. Amora took this opportunity to yank her closer, grabbing Kayla's jaw when she could. Amora studied Kayla as she struggled, but the Enchantress was stronger than the super-soldier. "Oh Kayla, you fool. You did all this, for what? For friendship? But what about your family? What will you do to save them now?"

Kayla twisted her body to try and kick Amora, but Amora caught her boot and twisted her ankle, causing Kayla to scream in pain. "What can I do to satisfy you? Take my life if that's what you want. Torture me until there's nothing left of me. Let my family go." Kayla pleaded and Amora looked up to see James beginning to approach. When he met her gaze he broke into a run, but Amora simply floated to her feet, still holding Kayla's jaw tightly.

"Let her go." James demanded, barely recognizing his own voice. He swallowed and Amora grinned in response. "Take me instead."

"James-" Kayla breathed, trying to pull Amora's fingers from her face. "Don't make deals with her."

"No. No, I want to know what he has to say." Amora replied, holding Kayla so close she could feel the Asgardian's breath, "I'd like to talk to your son alone."

Kayla meant to protest, but to her surprise Amora pressed her lips to hers, and Kayla began to feel heavy from her feet up. When Amora pulled away and snickered, Kayla sucked in her breath and reached forward, turning to stone.

"Mom!" James rushed forward to hold her, but now she was nothing more than a statue. He turned to the Enchantress and wound up his fist, "Turn her back!" He threw the punch but stumbled forward into nothing.

When he looked around, he was no longer in that old building but instead in an old dance hall. He looked down, finding himself dressed in an old army uniform, "What is this?"

James looked up when he heard laughing, seeing couples swing dancing and drinking at little tables around the room. Suddenly everything was alive and loud and bright and he felt like he'd been drinking by how the world seemed to spin around him.

"It doesn't feel right, does it?" A soft, sultry voice asked. James turned to see The Enchantress sitting on a table with a martini in her hand, dressed in a red wrap dress with her hair in tight victory curls. She stuck out her ruby red lip at James as he stared at her, just as confused about her appearance as his own. "This- this just isn't you."

"This doesn't exist-" James argued and Amora slid off the table and bumped into him. He backed up rapidly, stumbling into a punch table and causing several girls to laugh. "This isn't real."

"Well of course it isn't real. It's the past. You have to let the past go. This isn't your world, it's your father's." Amora explained as she smoothed down the gold tie over his dark olive suit. "You don't have to be who everyone expects you to be. You're meant to be so much more."

James swung around quickly in an attempt to run away, but suddenly he was at a black tie gala. He looked to his right out the window, camera flashes illuminating his own reflection. His hair was slicked back and he wore a fancy black tuxedo.

"May I have this dance?"

James clenched his jaw and turned to see Amora in a long blue halter dress. He swallowed hard at the sight of her cleavage, eyes traveling down to her leg that peaked out through a long slit. When he finally forced his eyes up to meet hers, she smiled so brightly her teeth practically sparkled. "Like what you see?"

James stammered a moment, feeling heat rush to his cheeks, "You know I'm a kid right, I'm still in school-"

"Hmmm, you let your parents tell you that so they can keep you under their control a little longer." Amora circled James and he lifted his jaw, trying to seem stern as she ran her hand up his arm and around his neck, "They hide from you what I know- you are no child. Time means nothing to Captain America and his scientist wife, and the serum that keeps them young caused you to reach peak human condition faster than any mortal man." She wiggled her finger, green magic dancing off her fingers creating a mirror in front of James. "In human years? You're eighteen going on twenty-five. From what I've gathered from you humans, that's old enough to leave Mommy and Daddy." Amora grabbed his tie and pulled him closer to her lips, almost touching as she teased him with her sensual voice.

He grabbed the tie above her hand and pulled back harshly, snatching it away from her grip, but when he turned again, he was in a massive throne room. He turned around, seeing piles upon piles of treasure all around the room, the walls and pillars themselves made of solid gold. James looked around, finding himself alone in this fantastical place. "I know you're here."

"You don't belong in your father's world, nor your mother's..." Amora's voice echoed in the chamber as James looked up, "... but maybe you belong in mine." James looked down to find himself wearing armor. A flowing red cape danced above his ankles as he heard a crunch, turning back to the throne to see Amora lying across it in a long green dress with her green headdress. Her right leg hung off the chair as she lay on her back, tossing her blood red apple in her hand in between bites. When Amora noticed she had James's attention, she tossed him the fruit, "Apple?"

Before James could answer, Amora stood and pulled off the long skirt of her dress, revealing her low cut bodysuit and thigh high boots she'd worn before, but by the time she reached the bottom step, she looked like Morgan.

"Is this better?" Morgan's voice asked and James felt his heart clench as she took another step toward him. This time he stared her up and down unabashedly, drinking her in as he took a tentative step closer. She smiled sweetly, nodding encouragingly, "I can be whoever you want me to be. Don't you love me?"

James started to nod, before remembering this wasn't real. "No. No, I do not. You're manipulating me."

"But James-" She whimpered, reaching out and taking his hand. He sucked in air quickly when he realized she felt just like Morgan and he had to fight to convince himself this wasn't real, because she was standing in front of him, begging for him. "James." She whined again, pressing herself against him and looking up at him with those beautiful brown eyes that he adored. "Kiss me."

James began to lean toward her lips, wanting to taste her lips again, but a shriek broke through his spell and he backed away, pushing her away harshly. He blinked rapidly, clenching his hand into a fist, "No. This isn't real."

Amora threw her arms to the side and she became herself again, looking at James expectantly, "But I can give you what you want, more than anything. You could be a hero." James glared at her, but she took his silence as permission to continue, "Come with me, James. We can end this. I'm more powerful than Red Skull. I can save your family, and we can have everything. Just say yes." She reached out her hand for him to take, but he stared at it cautiously.

"How do I know you won't betray me?"

Amora just smiled at him and shrugged, "You don't, but do you really think your father and sister will survive without you? You're the only super soldier left James. You can fix this." Sarah's sobbing wail emanated through the throne room and James sprinted a few steps towards the sound. "You said to take you instead. You didn't really mean that, did you?" James scowled at Amora and she deflated a little, pretending to feel bad, "You don't want to let your mom down. Honestly, it's probably for the best that you don't take me up on my offer. It would break her heart to see Schmidt murder your father and sister."

James reached behind him and ripped away the red cape, dropping it to the ground and glaring up at Amora who hovered above him. "Alright. I'll bite. What do I have to do to for you to free my mom?"

Amora snapped her fingers and they were back in the building and James sprinted to stand beside his mom, studying her panicked features. Amora appeared behind Kayla and ran her fingers against the cool stone, melting it away until Kayla stumbled forward into her son's arms.

"What did you do to him?" Kayla snarled, immediately on the defensive as Amora raised her hand and waved it away, clearing a path to Kayla's son. When she reached James she clenched the front of his suit, looking it up and down thoughtfully.

"I prefer when it has more red." She raised and dropped her hand and James's suit became Steve's original Captain America suit, then turned to look at Kayla while she spoke to James, "Tell me you love me. And then you'll be mine and I'll let her go. Because nothing will destroy her more than watching me take advantage of her baby."

Kayla lunged forward, but Amora pulled James closer so she skidded to a stop, "No!" Kayla put her hands up, trying to come up with a counter offer when thunder shook the whole building.

Kayla and Amora looked to the window, but smile grew across both of their faces. Kayla noticed her giddiness and her smile melted into a scowl, "What did you do?"

"It took a long time, but I finally conjured a spell strong enough to entrance the God of Thunder. Thor is mine." Amora chuckled and Kayla felt her kneecaps buckle as her face fell, "Oh, Kay, don't make that face. He'll keep your Avengers busy, so I can have my fun with you! He's just here to make sure there's no interference."

Kayla quickly raised her head, knowing what she had to do, "If this is a true game, it should be a fair game. I'll play willingly, but I choose the rules."

Amora raised her brow, releasing James but creating shackles to hold him in place, "I'm listening."

"Your prize if you win is my death at your hands. But don't you want to prove you're better than me on my level? Or will you cower behind your magic and torture me by enchanting my son? Wouldn't you rather kill me with your bare hands?" Kayla suggested, taking a step closer as Amora's lips curled up into a grin.

"So you expect me to not use magic? That's unfair, it's two against one." Amora pouted, snapping her fingers so the shackles on James's wrists pulled him downward to his knees. "I'll make you a deal. Your son is collateral and I won't use magic."

"How do you know we won't run!" James yelled out fiercely, pushing himself to his feet despite the weight pulling him down. Kayla stared at him with wide eyes, wondering why he was playing devil's advocate when she was handling it. "Sorry." He mumbled, straining from the heavy shackles pulling him down, but refusing to fall back to his knees.

Amora hummed, tapping her lips as Kayla shifted back and forth anxiously, "He makes a good point, he's a smart man." Amora circled James as he glared at her, then an idea struck her, "Let's make this a little more interesting." She snapped her fingers and the shackles fell away from James. She then grabbed him by the neck and squeezed as he struggled, feeling weaker by the moment. Kayla watched in horror as Amora stripped her son of the serum in his system, dropping him when he was no better than a regular person. He looked at his thin hands and arms in shock, then stared up at Amora in bewilderment as she inhaled deeply.

"You wanted to be just a regular senior, now you are." Amora purred, turning to Kayla, "I get to use his serum to fight you. If I use magic, he gets his strength back."

"And if I win you let us go."

"And if I win," Amora pointed to herself confidently, "You die and he stays with me."

James quickly backed himself into a corner, practically swimming in his suit as he watched his mother battle for their lives. "I believe in you." He called to Kayla and she smiled weakly, turning to face Amora with her hand outstretched, "Game on."

Amora took her hand, but Kayla pulled her forward and socked her hard in the face, causing the Enchantress to stumble back a step, raising her hand to blast Kayla, but she shook her finger, "Nuh uh. No magic, remember?"

"Fine." Amora growled, leaping toward Kayla and pinning her down until Kayla managed to kick the other blonde off of her. Kayla leaned back on her palms and sprung to her feet, running full speed at Amora and threw a punch that she blocked with her arm cuff.

James watched as Kayla's blue suit tangled with Amora's high boots, the two women trying to pull the other's feet out from under each other. Kayla grabbed a handful of Amora's long hair and yanked her head back, but Amora hooked her calf around Kayla's ankle and pulled it out from under her, causing her to lose her balance and fall. Amora chuckled, standing over Kayla with her hands on her hips, but Kayla kicked out Amora's calves and the moment she was on her back Kayla grabbed her boots and pulled her forward.

James scrambled to his feet as Kayla tackled Amora and used her muscular legs to hold down the other woman's thighs and torso before grabbing both hands with her right hand. Kayla clenched Amora's neck with her left hand, leaning all her weight and strength into choking the life out of the Enchantress so their troubles could be over once and for all.

Amora gagged as she struggled to overthrow Kayla, but the President's daughter had too much determination to let up until she'd finished what she'd started. She'd kill Amora with her bare hands and feel no remorse. Amora knew her life was over, but she wasn't going out alone. So she wrestled one hand out of Kayla's grip as James began to sprint towards them.

He slid to a stop the moment Amora's palm slammed against the concrete, time itself seeming to freeze as his weak legs struggled to hold him upright any longer.


	103. Chapter 103

Steve and Sarah reappeared in a massive, open room with no lights aside from the afternoon sun streaming in through the windows beyond exposed beams. Sarah looked around, wondering if this was once an open office space, but now it was haunting and abandoned. She wondered if it was the last thing she'd ever see.

Sarah looked down when Steve's clammy hand grabbed onto hers, feeling dizzy by how weak his grip was. She'd spent her entire life thinking there was something wrong with her, only to realize now that she was the only member of her family who was normal.

Except she wasn't.

Sarah squeezed Steve's hand and he looked to her as she closed her eyes, focusing her mind on who she was looking for, slowly turning until she stopped and opened her eyes. "He's here." She whispered and Steve used the shield to block her from the man that stepped out of the shadows.

"Captain Rogers." Schmidt bellowed as he approached, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture. "And this must be your daughter. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting."

"Leave her out of this, it's me you want." Steve said confidently as he took a step closer to put some distance between the impending fight and his little girl. Despite his best efforts, Sarah stayed glued to his back, arms wrapped around his stomach as if he was her shield.

Schmidt's eyes roamed up and down Steve before muttering, "So, you are the good man Erskine decided on. He took one look at you and said you could be the perfect soldier. I believe you said you were just a kid from Brooklyn?"

"I'm more than the serum." Steve growled, curling his hands into fists as he bopped up and down on the balls of his feet, "I won't let you hurt my daughter."

"I have no need to hurt your daughter Steven, it's you I want to hurt. That being said, when I suck out her soul and you're unable to stop me, I think it will cause you a great deal of hurt." Schmidt sneered with a wicked grin. "Amora thinks she has more power than me, but the Soul Stone is the most powerful of the Infinity Stones. When your strong-willed wife inevitably overtakes the Enchantress, I'll add her soul to my collection as well. I have dreamed of the anguished look on your face when I destroy your life"

Steve swung his right hand at Schmidt's face and the creature didn't even flinch at the hit. Steve shook out his hand in pain, his expression still hard as his determination to win, "If you want my family, you'll have to go through me first."

Sarah widened her eyes, leaning back to look at Steve in disbelief. She loved her father more than anyone in the world and she believed in him long before she realized he was Captain America. But hearing him threaten the Red Skull in his current state was by far the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard leave his mouth.

Steve swayed a little, trying to get into a fighting stance. This time when he went after Schmidt, he used his shield and the metal alone smacked him back a step, causing Schmidt to retaliate with a punch of his own.

He hit Steve on the cheekbone, sending him back a few feet as the pop echoed in the empty room. Sarah flung herself over her father as he wiggled his jaw back and forth before climbing back to his feet, taking a slight running start to attack Schmidt again. He tried to upper cut Schmidt with his right hand, but the Red Skull caught his fist and used his free hand to sock Steve in the face twice before kicking him back to the ground.

"Dad!" Sarah cried as Steve laid on his back, groaning loudly and grabbing his stomach. "Dad, you have to stop, you can't-"

"No." Steve breathed, grunting as he sat up. He locked eyes with Schmidt and stumbled to his feet, Sarah holding his side to steady him. He narrowed his gaze at his enemy and forced forward a smug grin, "I can do this all day."

"No, no you really can't." Sarah argued, but Schmidt was already crossing toward Steve, who just put his shield up to block the hit, then pulled it back quickly and smacked it against Schmidt to knock him back a step.

"As much as I enjoy knocking you down, Captain America, I have other things to do today. So I'm afraid I'm going to have to finish things up here," The Red Skull motioned to the three of them before decking Steve in the nose, then grabbing his shoulders with both hands and kneeing him in the stomach. As Steve doubled over, Schmidt took the final hit, punching Steve so hard in the face he flew backwards and smashed into one of the pillars.

This time though, he didn't get back up.

"Dad? Dad, can you hear me? You gotta get up!" Sarah whimpered as she shook her father's shoulders lightly. She grabbed both of his cheeks, seeing the bruises starting to form as his nose bled, surely broken from the hit. The only thing that eased Sarah's nerves was the slight rise and fall of his chest as he breathed through his broken lips.

Sarah looked up to see Schmidt walking toward them, head low and jaw clenched. Sarah knew he'd kill her before he killed her father, so she had until he woke up to try and escape. She flipped over her dad's arm and quickly unstrapped the shield from his forearm so she could hold it up in front of both of them. She rose quickly, standing over her father bravely, "Stay back."

"Wake up, Captain. I want you to see what's about to happen next." Schmidt called, kicking Steve's boot in an effort to stir him awake.

Steve's eyelids started to flutter open, momentarily forgetting where he was. The lights gave him a pounding headache, and his body felt heavy. It took a moment to realize it wasn't heavy, he just didn't have the serum anymore and he was tired. He kept thinking he was seeing Sarah standing in front of him, holding his shield, but that couldn't have been real. He had to get up... he had to get up and fight Schmidt.

Schmidt.

Sarah.

Steve's eyes widened just as Schmidt threw his hand out to blast Sarah and she gasped, letting the shield drop with an echoing thud. She screamed loudly as the power of the Soul Stone pummeled into her, trying to rip her soul from her body. She fought it, but closed her eyes, wanting it all to just end already.

* * *

"Sarah?"

Sarah groaned a little, keeping her eyes slammed closed.

"Sarah, wake up."

"No." Sarah murmured, shaking her head a little as the voice persisted. Perhaps the angels could let her rest a little longer. And deal with whatever loose pipe was filling Heaven with water around her ankles.

Sarah finally pried open her eyes to see two of the three women from her visions standing in front of her. Tiffany and Natasha stood before her, but the green warrior was gone. "What's happening? Am I dead?"

"No, not yet." Natasha answered bluntly and Sarah squinted up at her from her place on the ground. Nat offered her hand and pulled Sarah up, adding, "You need to defeat the Red Skull."

"Me? Are you kidding? Look at me! Do you think I have what it takes to defeat that?" Sarah gestured to herself, feeling like an idiot in her dark red suit, "I can't."

"Yes you can." Tiffany urged, grabbing her hands and giving them a squeeze, "You are the only one who can. If he takes your soul, he'll have all the Soul Stone's power. Then nobody will be able to stop him."

Sarah shook her head rapidly, pulling away from the two women, "I don't want this. I didn't ask for this, I don't know why I have this power because I can't use it. I can roam around in people's memories, he can suck out human souls. I'm no match for him." Sarah argued, crossing her arms across her chest as she hunched her shoulders, "I'm the embarrassment. The person everyone looked down on because I wasn't beautiful or strong or perfect like the rest of my family. I can't be what you think I am."

Tiffany looked to Nat expectantly and the Black Widow slashed through the air with her hand to create an image of Stark's Infinity Gauntlet. Six tiny mechanical arms placed the Infinity Stones into their spots, and behind the glass Kayla stood in a trance, "Ever since your mother first laid eyes on the Soul Stone it called to her." The image changed to show Steve holding open the briefcase with the six stones, preparing to leave. Nat studied Sarah's nervous expression as Steve lifted his gaze to address Bruce, which gave Kayla the opportunity to swipe the Soul Stone. "She just couldn't let it go, no matter what hurt it caused her." The image flashed to Steve staring down at her on the bench. There was disappointment on his face as her eyes glowed a warm orange hue. Then there were flashes of Kayla using the power of the Soul Stone on Steve and Tiffany before fighting with Wanda.

Tiffany wiped her hand through the image, pulling up the moment when Kayla resurrected Natasha on Vormir before Schmidt attacked her, "Kayla was never meant to wield the Stone, she has too much darkness in her heart. She's too selfish and brash. Her soul wasn't pure enough to handle its power, so the Red Skull took it for himself."

"Or so he thought." Natasha finished as Kayla wept wildly in the hospital bed, holding her small bump as she sobbed over hurting her unborn daughter.

Sarah looked up at Natasha in shock, "But why me? Why not James?"

"The Soul Stone has its own sentience. It chose you, because it knew you would be able to handle its power. Your brother," the image now showed James raising his hands to a crowd as they cheered his name, "has always known his power, even before he knew what he was, but you had to learn the hard way. To pick yourself up when the world pushed you down." Nat smiled as the image briefly showed Steve before the serum, climbing to his feet with his fists raised to fight.

Sarah gasped, feeling her heart clench as Steve took another punch to the face before standing up again. Natasha sniffled and nodded, missing her partner, "The Soul Stone chose you Sarah, because like your father, you have the humility to do what's right. You are good, inside and out, and only you can unleash the stone's full power."

"Take back what's yours, and free the souls he stole." Tiffany whispered, staring at the girl as her resolve hardened. Natasha leaned in so close that Sarah could feel her breath on her ear.

"You're the only one who can save your family now."

Sarah opened her eyes to see Schmidt pushing towards her, attacking her with his power. Sarah felt her legs quiver, but heard her dad yelling behind her, pleading the Red Skull to take him instead

Sarah clenched her jaw and pushed against the blast of power, digging her thick heels into the ground as she raised her right hand. She took a deep breath and focused, feeling her own power grow as she called to the Soul Stone.

_Come back to me. I'm the one you chose. I can set things right. _

Schmidt laughed as he got closer and Sarah spread her arms, taking in all the power he gave to her until he stopped. She collapsed on the ground and Steve was over her in an instant, sobbing as he turned her over.

"Sarah! Sarah please- I'm so sorry, Baby I'm so sorry." He wailed against her as Schmidt hovered over them, "She was just a kid, she didn't deserve this!" Steve screamed, cradling Sarah in his arms tightly as Schmidt stared down with a bored expression.

"Then I'll take pity on you." Schmidt said, raising his hand to Steve, "I'll kill you now instead of making you watch your wife and son die. I'll show mercy for the great Captain America."

Steve didn't even look up, he just held Sarah tighter as Schmidt threw a wave of power at him, but nothing happened. The Red Skull stepped back and looked at his hand, then tried again. Nothing. He closed his eyes and tried to summon his power, but nothing happened. "This isn't possible."

Steve finally looked up as Schmidt looked down at them in horror, and he felt Sarah shift in his arms. "Sarah?" He asked, pushing back her hair from her face as she groaned lightly, "You're alive."

"Not for long."

Steve's gaze rose up to see Schmidt aiming his gun at his head, finger on the trigger. Steve looked to his shield and lunged toward it, but the shot rang out before he could reach it.

Steve's eyes widened, unsure what happened as he looked over his shoulder to see a force field blocking the bullet from reaching him. He grabbed the shield and scrambled to his feet, looking to Sarah as she began to float above the ground, "The Soul Stone was never yours to wield." She said, opening her golden eyes as her voice echoed. "But now I have what is rightfully mine, and you will not bother my family again."

Schmidt shot at her, but she dropped to the ground, shooting him twice with her power. When he took aim again, she reached behind herself and clenched her fist, taking a chunk of the pillar to throw at him. As Red Skull dodged the metal, Sarah reached out and used her power to grab his gun, smashing it against the wall and pulling the concrete down to bury it.

Without his weapon, Schmidt charged at her, dodging her blasts until he was next to her, then he kicked her hard and sent her flying back. She lost her footing and fell hard on her ass. Screaming in frustration, Sarah pushed her hands down and floated up, grabbing more concrete to pummel the Red Skull.

She charged toward him, planning to blast him at close range, but a searing pain in her chest caused her to stumble and fall. Sarah cried out in anguish, trying to figure out where the pain had come from, but Schmidt took her moment of weakness to bring his fists down on her.

Steve slid in from behind Sarah, holding up his Captain America shield before the Red Skull could pummel his daughter, but the raw power of the Nazi super-Soldier was too much for Steve and he crumbled under the hit.

"No!" Sarah screamed as she thrust out her hand to blast Schmidt away, her free arm cradling her chest. She scooted herself over to Steve and carefully massaged his arms in an attempt to ease his broken arms. "Dad, you're gonna be okay. You're gonna be fine, I know it." Sarah cried, feeling her sorrow fill her more than the pain, "Dad, please, something's happened. I need you to get up."

She pressed her hand to his chest, feeling his faint heartbeat. "Please..." She closed her eyes and focused, willing her father's soul away from the darkness. "Come back."

She pushed hard on his chest and Steve sputtered awake, sitting up and hugging Sarah as he winced, "In hindsight there are better ways I could have handled that."

"You almost died." Sarah croaked, allowing herself this brief moment while Schmidt was nowhere to be found. "You scared the shit out of me."

"Language." Steve mumbled, turning his body and letting out a pained growl, "Sarah, what happened to you?"

"I think- Look out!" Sarah threw up an energy shield as Schmidt raised Bucky's rifle toward them and began to shoot. Steve pushed himself to his feet, grimacing as the pain ran through his arms and back, but he scooped up his shield and took off running just the same.

"Come on, we have to get to your mother and brother!" Steve called as he pulled open a door, finding it to be the stairwell. He looked back to see Sarah trying to keep her guard up as Red Skull continued to gain ground on them, "Sarah, let's go!"

Sarah looked back at her father, not letting her shield down until he was in the stairwell, "Go, I'll catch up!" Steve paused for a moment and Sarah flung one of her hands towards him, causing the door to slam and lock him away from Schmidt. Once her father was safe, Sarah turned back to the Red Skull standing on the other side of her shield. He ran out of ammunition and tried to use the rifle to smash the energy shield, but she dropped it and grabbed the gun instead, flinging it against the wall as she had done with the first one.

"You know, it's a good thing you took my serum before I was born. Being a super-soldier is the only reason this is almost a fair fight." Sarah taunted, but Schmidt lunged at her and she wasn't fast enough to get away as he grabbed her suit and picked her up, "Okay, that was out of line, I'm sorry!"

Schmidt chucked Sarah as hard as he could against the stairwell door and she grunted as she pushed herself onto her hands and knees. She panted as she scrambled to her feet and moved into the stairwell, jumping over the railing and floating down to the floor below where her father was waiting.

"I was scared you weren't coming." He told her quietly, and he grabbed her and pulled her into a hug, "I don't know if I'll get another chance." He murmured into her hair, smoothing it down softly, "I'm so proud of you."

"I just can't get the upper hand. I don't know how to subdue him."

"You don't subdue him honey, you have to kill him." Steve said gently, pulling away and placing his hands to her cheeks as she shook her head, terror in her blue eyes, "I know. I know, but we can't leave him alive. If you get the chance, take it okay?"

Sarah nodded weakly, pushing open the door to the floor below. When she looked to her left, she saw Wanda still hanging in her shackles, "I can get you out of here." Sarah said as she lifted her hands, but Wanda screamed through her gag and gestured her toward the middle of the room.

"Dad!" James yelled, causing Sarah and Steve to turn, and gasp as Amora blasted James.

***I couldn't post today without remembering our fallen King T'Challa, Chadwick Boseman. I am in shock and I am devastated. You still had so many more stories to tell us and so many more lessons to teach us. We never realized just how hard you fought and how brave you were. And I'll forever be haunted that I wrote a character passing of cancer in Wakanda, and that there was nothing T'Challa could do to save them. Oh how I wish there had been something to do to save him. Rest in Peace and in Power- A role model for us all not only in the characters you played, but in the bravery you showed by being what we wanted you to be, despite how hard it must have been for you.***


	104. Chapter 104

As Thor continued to pummel Bruce into the ground, T'Challa and his son Amandla continued to work on keeping Bucky unconscious as they hid behind a storage crate. Sam flew above Thor, shooting down at him before soaring away as quick as he could to avoid Thor's lighting strikes. Tony kept watch on his former teammate, occasionally updating Tessa and Morgan as they rested near the Wakandans.

"He's relentless. Even Captain Marvel can barely hold her own." Tony mumbled as Thor brought his ax down on Carol, but she crossed her wrists and caught it, holding it back with all her might as he tried to crush her. "We could really use one of our two super soldiers right about now. Speaking of which, where's the other old man?"

Morgan leaned her head against the crate, lulling her neck back and forth as she rested, "He's not going to be a lot of help, unfortunately." Tony looked to his daughter curiously and she sighed, "Schmidt used the anti-serum he took from Kayla."

Tony rubbed his face roughly, "Shit."

"I know." Morgan answered, looking to Tessa as she gently rubbed Bucky's cheek. "Dad, I don't know how we're going to get out of this. Thor could be under her spell, just like Bucky was."

"Well, if we can figure out how to help him, we can figure out how to help Thor." Tony mumbled, looking to T'Challa, "You having any luck?"

"His brain waves seem normal, but we won't know for sure until he wakes up." Amandla answered, looking up when he heard Kate yell she was out of arrows. The young man looked to Tessa, waiting to see if she'd respond, "Are you ready for us to wake him up?"

Tessa looked down at her husband and smoothed back his unruly hair, giving a couple of small nods, "I want to see him."

Amandla looked to his father, who gave a weary nod. The Wakandan prince twisted a bead on his kimoyo bracelet. Bucky groaned as the man plucked the bead from his neck and placed it back with the rest, shifting to his knees to give the assassin some space.

Bucky's eyelids slowly pried open and upon seeing the Wakandan Prince he growled and lunged forward as Amandla stumbled to his feet and backed away. Bucky stood, looking between the newcomer and T'Challa, barely any recognition in his eyes. He looked down, seeing he was missing his left arm, then saw Tony as he stood in front of his daughter.

"Bucky?"

The soldier closed his eyes, shaking his head to push out the voice, but it came again, softer almost, like an angel in a dream, "Bucky, it's me."

Bucky took a deep breath and opened his eyes, looking down to see his wife leaning against the crate, her hand across her stomach as she looked up at him with her chocolate eyes and bittersweet smile. "Tessa?"

She nodded and he looked up when he heard Banner roar, quickly kneeling down beside his wife. It was then Bucky realized there was blood staining her shirt, "What happened?" He looked back at Morgan, taking in how terrified she looked at him, and the faint bruise around her neck shaped like a hand. "Oh my God-"

"It wasn't your fault, you didn't mean to." Tessa murmured as Bucky carefully lifted her hand to see the massive gash across her abdomen. He recognized the kimoyo bead stopping the infection from spreading and looked up to T'Challa, this time knowing exactly who the man was.

"Did I do this?" He asked the King earnestly, and Tessa pulled his face back to hers, pressing a kiss to his lips as thunder echoed outside. "I'm so sorry, Baby."

"I know. Really seals the deal on the whole kid thing." She chuckled, but Bucky just dug his forehead into her collarbone, "Shhh, it's okay. This is the least of our worries, I promise. Just keep me safe now." Tessa asked, twisting her neck to press a light kiss to his face. "Bucky, look at me. We're going to be okay."

"Are you going to die?" He asked seriously, looking to Stark quickly for the truth, because he knew Tessa would lie to protect him. "I'll never forgive myself."

"I'm not going to die. Not today." Tessa sighed, closing her eyes as the battle raged on behind her. "Get that arm back on and try to help them. I'm not getting any better hiding here." Amandla moved to stand beside Bucky, holding his vibranium arm out to him. Bucky allowed the man to replace his arm, never taking his eyes off his wife. She chuckled, wincing as her chest moved up and down, "Plus, you gotta save Steve and Kayla. And the kids- I'm down for the count, Baby. I need you to make sure those kids are okay."

"You are my priority." Bucky whispered and Tessa shook her head, "Don't tell me no, you come first."

"She's gonna be fine, Barnes. I give you my word. We won't let anything happen to her." Tony intervened and Tessa smiled thankfully at him before looking back to her husband.

"I'm fine. Go." Tessa prodded, tilting her head slightly to the side to gesture toward the sound of the fighting. Bucky nodded, bending down to kiss her deeply for a few moments before darting around the corner with T'Challa and his son hot on his trail.

Morgan looked to Tessa nervously before addressing her father, "Why did you promise that? Did neither of you hear what T'Challa said?"

"Listen, if I know anything, I know Kayla Rogers. Tessa isn't going anywhere." Tony smiled confidently at the injured woman as he heard Thor rumbling threats at the others. Morgan didn't look nearly as convinced as her father, but Tony added, "If Kayla can reverse the effects of the Infinity Stones, she can fix this."

"I already have serum in my system." Tessa mumbled, catching Morgan and Tony's attention, "She accidentally drugged me while purposely drugging Steve. It's a whole thing, but yeah, like your dad said, I'm not worried." All three looked to the left as Bucky was thrown against the wall beside them. He looked up at Tessa, rolling his eyes but clambering to his feet anyway and charging back into the fight. Tessa nodded, sighing deeply despite the searing pain in her stomach, mumbling sarcastically, "Not worried at all."

* * *

Kayla leaned all her weight against the Enchantress as she tried to choke the life out of her. Kayla could feel the Asgardian losing the battle beneath her, her gagging becoming deeper as she grew closer to her demise. As much as she didn't want to murder this woman in cold blood in front of her son, she needed to be rid of her. She needed to save her family.

With Amora gone, she could get to Steve. She could save him, fix him, take him home and never look back. Kayla could practically taste his lips on hers as Amora finally wiggled one of her hands out of Kayla's grip. Kayla used every ounce of her super human strength to hold her down. With her free hand, Amora slammed her palm to the ground beside them, bringing down a spear through Kayla's chest into her own.

Kayla gasped as the spear embedded itself into her rib cage, feeling her arms and legs weaken and threaten to collapse. The spear vanished and Kayla lost her balance, leaning to the side to fall away from Amora as the Enchantress gasped for breath, her own chest broken open and bleeding out.

A light laugh left Amora's lips as Kayla groaned, looking over at the other blonde, "You cheated."

"My life is yours now. If you die, so do I." Amora laughed through her cough, beginning to turn over before being battered into the ground by James. His serum was back, since Amora had broken her deal, and he used every bit of strength to bash the life out of the Enchantress for hurting his mother. Punch after punch after punch, James could think of nothing else but saving Kayla. It was up to him to finish the job she started.

Kayla screamed as she leaned against her forearm, trying to sit up as she gasped for air, but her windpipe was cut open and her serum was working overtime to correct the issue. Even still, Kayla felt dizzy as the blood began to pool on the floor beneath her.

Amora took every hit in stride as James wound up to deliver the final strike, "What I said goes both ways." Amora croaked, her neck quivering from the damage Kayla had done, "If you kill me, your mother dies."

James rocked back onto his feet away from Amora, looking to his mom to see her suffering. Kayla heard what the Enchantress had said though, and she cried out to her son as tears began to well in her green eyes, "Finish it."

"What?" James gasped, taking a step toward his mother as Amora tried to sit up. He kicked her in the chest and Kayla inhaled sharply. James saw Kayla's hand covered in blood and sobbed, "I'm not gonna let you die."

"James, if you don't kill her this never ends." Kayla bawled, her arms shaking until she finally collapsed on her side, looking up at her son, "There is no other way."

James clenched his jaw, kneeling down next to Kayla to hold her up. She coughed up blood as he carefully sat her up and rested her side against his chest, "Please... Figure something else out."

Kayla reached up and weakly brushed James's hair to the side, "I'm out of ideas, Honey." She whispered, running her clean hand against his face as her bloody right hand landed on the star on his chest. She sucked in air, causing her to cough again as her eyes followed her hand, "It's okay... I love you." Kayla said as James carefully lowered her to the ground before standing, looking over to Amora darkly.

When she saw him, she forced a laugh, choking a bit, but her smile never faded. James stormed over to her, the ground practically quaking with his need for vengeance. He went down on one knee, grabbing Amora's neck and pulling her up with him, but she continued to grin. Her emerald eyes sparkled mischievously as she looked past James for a moment, then purposely spoke as loudly as her throat would allow, "Finish me off. You'll kill three birds with one stone."

James narrowed his eyes at her, squeezing her neck tighter as she choked, "What's that supposed to mean?"

Amora looked right past James to Kayla as the woman looked up at the exchange, "My magic is the only thing keeping Daddy alive. If I die, so does he."

James slammed his eyes closed, not letting up on his grip. He tried to come to terms with what he was about to do, wishing, praying his mother would stop him.

"Wait."

James sighed in relief at his mother's voice, dropping Amora offhandedly as he whipped back around to Kayla. He crossed the floor to her, seeing she'd lost almost all her color. She was barely hanging on. James knelt down beside her, blocking her from Amora as she groaned, "Open this." She mumbled lightly, tapping one of the packs on her belt. He followed her instructions and unsnapped the compartment, finding it more difficult than it should have been. It wasn't meant to be opened by someone who wasn't a super soldier.

James swallowed, reaching inside the small compartment, finding it steel enforced to protect whatever was inside. He pulled out a syringe filled with light blue liquid, cradling it gently. He looked to Kayla for an explanation but she just coughed and placed her hand on his, "You have to save him. He's the only one who can defeat Schmidt." Kayla croaked, a small smile on her lips, "If you can save your dad, I'll be okay."

James nodded, understanding his mother's directions. He gave her bloody hand a gentle squeeze, clenching the vial carefully as he stood, turning to face Amora before darting away to find his father.

A frustrated cry escaped Amora's strangled throat as she rolled over onto her stomach, reaching forward to aim at James as he ran. She took her aim and grit her teeth, suddenly distracted by the door in the far corner opening.

"Dad!" James called when he saw it was his dad and sister, relieved he'd be able to complete his mom's last request. He pushed himself harder to reach his family, but Amora finally found her aim and blasted him, encasing the young super soldier in a thick block of ice.

"Ha!" Amora grunted, finally allowing herself to rest. She closed her eyes, confident Schmidt could finish off Captain America and his daughter.

"James!" Sarah yelped, skidding to a stop next to her brother. She pressed her hands against the ice, but he was too deep to get out now. "Is he going to be okay?" She asked Steve, realizing his eyes were locked on something else. Sarah followed her dad's gaze to her mother, reaching to her abdomen instinctively. She hung back, watching as Steve approached Kayla and dropped his shield. He fell to his knees, scooping her up to cradle her against his chest.

"Kay." She said softly, studying the hole in her chest, "What happened?"

"Well, this is better than I could have imagined it."

Steve looked up to see Schmidt approaching them with a menacing grin. Captain America growled to his enemy, "What more can you possibly take from me?"

"Your daughter, your son, and then your life. I'm just thankful there are no more super soldiers to deal with, seeing as your son has followed in your footsteps and your wife is, well, dead." Schmidt sneered, and Kayla shifted in Steve's arms.

"I'm not dead yet, asshole." She hissed, unable to open her eyes as the back of her head rested against Steve's thigh.

Schmidt cocked a gun and took aim at Kayla and Steve, "That can be arranged."

Steve stared up at Schmidt defiantly, but he didn't move. He considered grabbing his shield, but he didn't even know if he'd be strong enough to hold it up against the bullets at close range. He could try to get away, but he couldn't leave Kayla. She never left his side, no matter how terrifying the threat. He couldn't abandon her now.

"I've waited a long time for this, Rogers. If I gain nothing else, at least I know I killed Captain America."

"No." Sarah barked confidently, slowly walking toward the Red Skull with her hands at her sides, "No, I'm going to stop you."

"You don't have it in you." Schmidt taunted as he kept the gun trained on her parents, but his eyes were locked on Sarah. "We can fight and fight and fight, but you can't deliver the final blow."

Sarah narrowed her eyes and the corner of her lip threatened to curl into a smile. She could see Schmidt was calling her bluff. He knew she'd beat him. She just had to prove she was brave enough. She could end this, and save her family. Sarah just had to kill this one man.

Schmidt finally raised the gun to Sarah and fired. The bullet ricocheted off of Sarah's suit, pushing her back a pace, but she was saving her power. She didn't know if she could follow through with her plan, but she'd try. As Schmidt took aim again, his target only a few feet from him, Sarah lunged forward and grabbed the gun, flinging it away before smacking her palm against the Red Skull's chest.

The Red Skull's soul floated from his body and the lifeless figure collapsed at Sarah's feet. She stumbled back, unsure what to do now. Schmidt saw this and grinned from where he floated above her, "Will you feed on my soul? Take it as your own and destroy me? Then you don't have to kill me, I'll just be there in the back of your soul, forever."

"If that's what it takes to defeat you-" Sarah raised her hand, focusing her mind and her energy and reaching out to take Schmidt's soul, but she didn't get the chance.

Steve tore past his daughter, shield in hand, and bashed his Captain America shield against the Red Skull's face, crushing his skull before Sarah had to make the choice. Sarah backed away quickly as her father landed a second and a third blow, then quickly pulled Schmidt's soul back into his body for the fourth and final hit. He looked at Steve with wide eyes and let out a pained scream, just as Steve bashed open his head. Johann Schmidt, the Red Skull, was gone.

Sarah began to drop, exhausted and traumatized and so, so thankful. It was over. Steve was immediately at her side, holding her close to his bony chest as she began to cry. "Shhh, it's okay. You did so good. It's over now."

"Not yet." Amora groaned, narrowing her eyes at the pair, but Sarah quickly blasted the blonde, putting her to sleep so they could save Kayla.

"Not another word of out of you." Sarah hissed, leaning over and placing her hands on her knees for just a second to catch her breath, then she turned and followed her father to where Kayla laid. "Mom! I can save you- I can help-"

Steve sat and propped Kayla up against his side again, brushing back her hair as she sighed softly, "Go... get your brother. Get him out, then you can save me."

Sarah nodded and sprinted to James, blasting the block of ice with her power in an attempt to break it away.

"You're gonna be okay. I swear on my life Kay. I'm not gonna leave you." Steve promised, pressing a soft kiss to her hair as he cried. "Stay with me."

"The Enchantress linked our lives." Kayla sputtered, tilting her head just a little to see Steve's face. "If she dies, so do I. And vice versa."

"No. No we're gonna figure something out. We'll break the spell, I'm not gonna let you die just to defeat her." Steve told Kayla, looking up to see Sarah struggling with the ice. "You don't have to do this."

"You would." Kayla breathed shakily as a small smile bloomed. "If the Enchantress dies, so do I. And so do you."

"We can't leave the kids." Steve argued, trying to get his wife to fight, "Damn it, Kay, can't you be selfish one more time?" Steve chuckled, feeling his heart sink.

Kayla shook her head a little, struggling to keep her eyes open, "Not this time, Darling." Steve leaned his cheek against his wife's head, trying so hard not to cry. "James has- he has the serum." Steve looked at Kayla and she forced her eyes open to look at him, "It's the good stuff. Pure. Perfect. The best I've ever done. I never leave home without it."

"I could give it to you-"

"And how's that gonna stop the Enchantress?" Kayla bit back, feeling what little strength she had left begin to fade, "Let me go, Steve. It's okay."

"Please don't do this. Kay... Kay, please, hang on for me. For the kids, please, they need you." Steve sobbed quietly, realizing she was slipping, "Kay, please don't leave me. I love you so much."

Kayla blinked slowly, then finally heard the sound of shattering ice. She sighed as Steve smoothed down her long blonde hair, holding her as tightly as he could. Kayla took a deep, shaky breath and whispered, "I love you, too."

Kayla pulled his head down to hers, crashing her lips against his one last time. Steve obliged, holding the back of her neck as he kissed her, until he felt her go limp in his arms. She was gone.


	105. Chapter 105

Carol panted against the wall as Thor turned his attention to Bruce. Both Black Panthers crouched between Thor and the shipping containers where Tony hid with Tessa and Morgan.

"This is taking too long. They could be dead by now." Morgan cried out over the sound of yelling between Thor and Sam. Tony looked around the crate, seeing Thor hurl Banner toward the stair case, then throw Stormbreaker up to bring lightning down onto him. Bruce jumped out of the way just in time, staring at his friend in disbelief.

Suddenly, without warning, Thor stopped fighting and looked around in confusion. Banner paused, watching him cautiously as he looked around at the Avengers, "Banner? Where am I?"

"You've been kicking our ass for the past hour." Sam barked as he landed in front of the demi-god. "You tell us what you're doing here."

"The last thing I remember is the Enchantress's trial!" Thor boomed, realizing what happened, "She cast a spell on me."

Tony quickly stood, realizing the battle was done. He helped Morgan to her feet, then waved Bucky over to get his wife. When Bucky reached Tessa, she shifted to get up and hissed. "You have to go. I'll only slow you down."

"I'm not going to leave you, this is my fault." Bucky argued, kneeling down to be at her level, "Baby, I'm not going anywhere. You are the most important person in my life. You came here to save me and I'm not leaving you behind."

Bucky carefully helped Tessa to her feet as she groaned, holding her stomach as the pain continued, "Seriously, you need to go help Steve. The others are already starting to leave..."

"Not without you." Bucky said, carefully scooping Tessa up and carrying her toward the stairs. He paused to listen as Thor spoke candidly with Tony and Bruce about the Enchantress.

"If her spell over me is broken, she's very likely dead. I'm sure our Captain was able to vanquish her." Thor said boldly, looking from Tony to Banner, but Tony cleared his throat.

"Steve lost his super-soldier serum. I doubt he could vanquish a goat, let alone an Asgardian."

Thor shrugged and looked upward, "Either way, Amora is dead. Let us pray she is the only one."

* * *

The moment Sarah cracked through the ice that trapped James, he burst out of it, shaking from head to toe from the cold. His mind ran a thousand miles a minute, walking him through the moments before he was frozen. Moments after being freed, James realized what had happened and sprinted past Sarah towards his parents, sliding to a stop when he saw his mom's hand fall from his father's cheek to the ground.

_No. No no no, please no._

James fell to his knees next to his father, finally getting a good look at his mother's pale, still body. "No, no, no." James sobbed as he collapsed onto his forearms, bawling onto the floor as Steve cried softly into the crook of Kayla's neck. James pushed himself up when Sarah sat down between him and their father and nuzzled her cheek against Steve's shoulder. The Captain America shield still clung to his left arm as he cradled Kayla, but Steve was so devastated, he couldn't even feel his own body shutting down.

Sarah suddenly looked at her father when she felt his shoulder weaken, then over to Amora, finding the Enchantress laying on her side with her lifeless green eyes wide and staring at them. "Dad!" Sarah cried, leaning away to get a better look at him, seeing him begin to thin, his hundred and twenty years finally catching up with him.

Steve looked down, seeing his hands begin to wrinkle as he rapidly began to age. James jumped to his feet in terror, shoving the syringe into Sarah's hand and she faltered for a moment, almost dropping the glass vial until Steve grabbed her hand weakly. She watched in horror as Steve's face began to sag and she shrieked, shaking him gently, "Dad! Daddy you have to take the serum!"

Steve looked at the vial that his daughter tried to shove toward him, and then back to Kayla's body across his lap. He could vaguely hear James yelling at him from behind Sarah but his mind was slowing down. Steve began to feel confused, unsure of what was happening, but when he looked at his little girl, he saw how she panted, trying so hard to catch her breath. She wanted him to be okay.

He wanted her to be okay.

Steve ripped off the syringe cap and swiftly plunged it into Sarah's neck, stunning the girl as she stumbled backward. Sarah gasped, pulling the needle out to find the vial empty, "What have you done?" James caught Sarah as she doubled over in pain, feeling the serum invade her bloodstream. It felt like her insides were being torn apart, her bones shifting and her muscles stretching and her lungs opening up as she gasped.

Steve smiled weakly as he withered away, knowing he made the right choice. He felt his heart slow, and eventually give out, collapsing on top of Kayla as Sarah sobbed. After over a hundred years and too many battles, Steve faded away, little more than dust.

James was thankful Sarah's eyes were closed when their father died, because she'd never forgive herself for being the cause of his death. He just held her tightly as she cried, her wails echoing throughout the building.

From the stairwell, Bucky's eyes grew wide and he set Tessa down at her urging, sprinting up the stairs as fast as his legs could take him to save his niece. Morgan watched him in horror, suddenly finding herself sprinting past the Avengers to keep up with Bucky in his chase.

Sarah finally broke away from James and fell to her knees, letting out a final pained scream as the power within her shot outward. The golden wave flew through the room and across the globe, finally releasing every soul the Red Skull stole over the past eighteen years.

Steve's shield hit the ground with a clang, the hero finally laid to rest after a century of fighting. The air hung heavy as Sarah wept, leaning over and holding her stomach as she tried to catch her breath. With every easy gasp she took, she sobbed that much harder, knowing this serum was meant for her dad. James stared down at her in shock, trying to think of something to say. "Sarah, I-" She shook her head as the tears continued to fall, and James closed his mouth and bowed his head sadly.

Bucky burst through the doors and continued to charge toward James and Sarah. He didn't slow down until he realized she was sobbing. When he reached James, Bucky looked over Sarah's shoulder, seeing Kayla's body and the shield beside it. Bucky studied Sarah, realizing she was taller. She had more meat on her bones and as she leaned against the concrete floor, her arm muscles flexed.

James sniffled loudly, finally turning to look at his uncle. When Bucky met his gaze, James lowered his head again, unable to look the man in the eye, "Dad- he gave Sarah the serum... that was meant for him. Mom wanted him to have it, but he-"

Bucky nodded, swallowing hard as he pulled James into a rough hug. The young man reciprocated it, and Bucky felt him tremble in his arms, "It's okay. You guys are gonna be okay."

The others finally reached them, and Tessa gasped when she saw Kayla, lifeless and bleeding next to Captain America's shield. James pulled away and Bucky gently tugged Tessa into his arms, allowing her to sob against his vest as he stroked her back. James looked past Bucky to see Morgan standing there, mouth agape as she looked around at the carnage left by the Enchantress and Red Skull.

"James?"

James grabbed Morgan's wrist and pulled her into a passionate kiss, thankful she was okay. After a moment she pulled away, looking up at him with watery eyes, "I'm so sorry." James broke down, holding Morgan and bawling into her hair as she rubbed his back. "You're gonna be okay."

Peter Parker sprinted forward from across the room, finding Tony in the crowd of Avengers and running over to him, "Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark what happened?..." When he saw Kayla, he looked to Tony and the older man pulled Peter into a tight hug.

"I'm just so thankful you're okay." Tony pulled away to look at James and Morgan. He grabbed the boy's arm and squeezed it supportively, "I'm glad you're all okay." James nodded, never releasing his hold on Morgan as she rocked back and forth in his arms. Tony nodded and smiled weakly at James, and he mouthed 'thank you' before kissing Morgan's head lovingly.

The world moved around Sarah, but despite all the talking and the crying and the gasping and the staring, she felt like she wasn't in the same plane of existence as everyone else. It wasn't until Sarah saw two women standing over her mother's body did she look up.

The two women from her visions, Natasha and Tiffany, stood over her patiently with sad, unsurprised eyes. Sarah's breath caught in her throat, "You guys knew didn't you? You knew what would happen." Natasha reached down and offered her hand to Sarah. A weak, knowing smile was plastered across the Black Widow's beautiful face as she gently pulled Sarah to her feet.

"All these years I knew she'd die. I didn't realize it would be like this." Tiffany whimpered in response, kneeling down beside her best friend. She smoothed back Kayla's hair, grimacing as she swept small pieces of dust from her hair. Sarah looked to Natasha, but the other woman just stared blankly at the ground, her expression unreadable.

_She's going to miss her partner, and her friend_.

Sarah looked up to see Wanda approaching, but the Scarlet Witch stopped by Peter and Tony, seemingly wanting to stay as far away from the body as possible. Sarah looked around, feeling a gaping hole in her side that her father would have filled. James quickly crossed to his sister, pulling her to his chest to hold her tightly. He could see what she was thinking, he knew how his dad and sister worked, and James knew he had to work hard to be there for his baby sister now.

"Tiffany?" Sam gasped, seeing his long-dead girlfriend. He stumbled forward, landing on his knees next to her, "This isn't possible." He reached out and grabbed her cheeks and she nodded, beaming at him.

"I'm here. I'm back." Tiffany whispered, studying Sam before throwing her arms around his shoulders, "I'm finally home."

Sam smiled down at Tiffany as she took his hand, her eyes down at the ground, "I'm sure you've moved on."

"I haven't actually. I've been busy." Sam said and Tiffany looked up. Sam leaned down and kissed her sweetly, "But I'm not young anymore."

"It doesn't bother me. It's pretty much standard for the group- ya know, dating older men." Tiffany lulled her head to look over at Tessa, "Unless you're in your seventies, in which case, you look fabulous." Tessa chuckled, patting Bucky's stomach as she gazed up at him lovingly, but her expression fell as Bucky kept his eyes trained on his niece and nephew.

"I think I'm gonna throw up." Sarah leaned into James's arms, burying her face into his collarbone as he rubbed her back and shushed her. Tessa broke away from her husband and took Sarah's hand, grabbing the girl's attention. She finally let go of her brother when she saw how terrible Tessa looked, "What happened to you?"

"It doesn't matter. I'll be okay." Tessa promised, squeezing Sarah's hands. "All that matters is you and your brother."

"And we're gonna take care of you. Whatever you need." Bucky added quickly, but Sarah looked to her brother and they both enveloped Bucky in a hug. They felt the large man sob and Sarah closed her eyes, focusing on bringing him comfort as she felt the sorrow and loss pouring from his very soul. Sarah pulled away and Bucky grabbed her cheeks, sniffling as he stared at her, "My God you're beautiful."

"You look like your mom." Tiffany said softly as Sam helped her to her feet.

"Get used to that." James mumbled and Sarah snorted, blushing as she pushed her hair behind her ear. James pressed a kiss to Sarah's head, not even having to bend over. "You're so tall now. My gosh, you're like a giant."

"Shut up." Sarah smacked her brother and he actually shook his arm, feeling a sting from her swat for the first time in his life.

Sam looked to his left, seeing Thor on his knee, honoring his fallen comrade. Bruce rubbed his face sadly, and Tony fidgeted with his hands as he looked from the shield to Romanoff, then to Bruce, then Thor, then back to the shield on the ground. Sam looked to Carol and T'Challa, and the latter nodded. "Avengers." Everyone looked up at Sam, including Tiffany who stayed glued to his side, "Team meeting."

"About what?" Kate Bishop asked softly, looking to Cassie Lang curiously.

"We have to figure out what to do about this." Sam looked down at the shield, then back up to Bucky, "I'm retired."

"Congratulations." Bucky deadpanned, looking to Tiffany, then Stark, "Howard made it, you decide what to do with it."

"No, I'm not making that mistake again." Tony said, stepping forward as Natasha scooped up the shield, holding it against her chest for a moment as a tear slid down the vibranium. She handed it to Tony, who looked from Sam to Bucky, then toward his daughter and Steve's kids. "Although, if my dad did have a say, I think he'd want it to stay in the family. Honestly, I'd like that too. With Sam retiring, somebody has to keep these kids in line, and protect my daughter. You know, seeing as she's the new Iron Man."

Morgan's jaw dropped and she beamed, "What? Really?" Sarah grabbed her arm excitedly, but James stood behind them both with a stunned look on his face. Morgan and Sarah finally turned to him, seeing how terrified he looked. Morgan grabbed his hand and squeezed it, feeling how cold he still was. "James, are you okay?"

Tony took a step towards the boy, holding out the shield for him to take, "You can be whoever you want to be. That's what your Mom wanted, but, I think your Dad would want you to have it."

James nodded, taking the shield and sliding it onto his arm, "I won't let them down."

"You couldn't if you tried." Bucky's voice cracked and Tessa hugged him tighter.

Morgan took James's right hand and Sarah stood to his left, gazing at the shield lovingly. Her eyes glowed orange for a moment and she grinned up at her brother, opening her mouth to say something, but when she saw how lovingly James looked at Morgan, she decided against it.

Morgan beamed up at James as he lifted the shield in the air, showing off a perfect million-dollar smile, "Avengers... Assemble." He looked to Morgan expectantly and she just shrugged as he blushed, but she just kissed his cheek as Sarah smacked his back, knocking him forward a step.

Bucky nodded to himself, unable to shake how much James looked like his father when they were young. At least Bucky had gotten another lifetime with his best friend, until the end of the line.


	106. Chapter 106

When Monday morning arrived, Bucky drove Sarah and James back to school. Bucky parked Steve's big pickup truck next to James's car in the back parking lot, but James wasn't very excited to get it back. Bucky turned to him with a sad smile, grabbing James's shoulder and squeezing it supportively before turning to look at Sarah in the backseat, "You sure you don't want me to go talk to your principal alone? I can get your stuff."

"No. I think we should face the music. It's not like we'll ever be back here anyway." James mumbled, meeting Bucky's steely blue eyes before turning to his sister, "You ready for this?"

"I legitimately don't think anyone will recognize me." Sarah grumbled, running her fingers through her long blonde hair. She wore her mother's black leggings with a long blouse that had been a dress two days ago. She wore James's Letterman jacket over her top, hiding her toned arms and shoulders from the world, but nothing could hide the six inches she'd grown since yesterday.

Sarah had spent forty-five minutes that morning staring at herself in the mirror, practically in tears, studying every curve of her body that hadn't existed before. She'd lost ten minutes to just breathing, taking deep breaths in over and over again and feeling her lungs working at a level she didn't think possible. A part of her didn't think she deserved this, but the other part knew the serum was her birthright. It was a combination of her dad's greatness and her mom's most remarkable creation. Sarah would never admit that she felt cheated not having it before. James finally kicked her out of the bathroom, needing to shower before school.

She spent another twenty minutes trying on all of her clothes and realizing nothing fit anymore.

James smirked at her when she accidentally ripped the handle off of the kitchen cabinet, Tessa assuring her it was fine, they'd get it fixed. James had straight up laughed at her when she complained about being too tall to fit in her bed anymore. But James also sat on that bed holding Sarah when she cried herself to sleep the night prior, feeling guilty that she felt great for the first time in her life, because this wasn't meant for her.

He'd never admit to anybody that he stayed by her side until she fell asleep. He'd also never admit that he didn't want to be alone either, but Sarah knew. She could read into his very soul.

Sarah shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. She realized Bucky was still looking at her, waiting for her to do something, "Sorry. Let's just get this over with."

Bucky gave a small nod, his own eyes rimmed with red. "Okay. I'll talk to your principal. Grab your stuff and meet me back at the house, okay?"

"Okay." James and Sarah answered in unison, then Sarah opened the door and stepped out of the truck easily, looking back to wait for her brother. James took a deep breath and blew air out through his mouth before exiting the truck, but as he crossed around the back, he paused, opened the box and pulled out the Captain America shield to strap it to his back.

"Umm, what are you doing with that?" Bucky called as James strode in front of Sarah to the school, a confident smirk on his face.

"He's showing off." Sarah answered, crossing her arms and leaning against the truck, "Give him this. It'll make explaining how he almost killed that kid on Friday night easier. It'll also make him seem like a bad ass, because he's pretty sure everyone will think he's going to prison." Bucky chuckled, locking up the truck and following Sarah into the school.

The moment James walked through the doors, all eyes were on him. The whispers followed him down the hall as he strode past his classmates, eventually coming to a stop at his locker. Brent and Hunter cautiously walked up to him, staring at the shield on his back.

"Umm, Carter? Where have you been?" Brent asked slowly, watching as James loaded up his personal belongings from his locker. Hunter and Brent exchanged a look, then Brent pressed, "Where are you going?" James still didn't answer, so Brent leaned in nervously, "Carter?"

"It's actually Rogers." James replied, finally pulling away and closing his locker. "James Rogers, my dad was Steve Rogers, Captain America. It's a long story, but, uh, this is mine now." James reached behind him and pulled out the shield, letting his friends study it in wonder.

Hunter looked from the shield and then back to James as Brent ran his fingers along the metal, "What do you mean, was?"

James latched the shield back onto his back, running his hand through his hair as he looked down the hall. His jaw quivered a little, but he steadied it and turned to his friends with a sad attempt at a smile, "I'm not going to be around anymore."

"Why?" Brent pressed, looking to Hunter for help, "Are you getting arrested? For the kid from East Side?"

"No." James answered, skidding his shoe along the tile, "My, uh, my parents are gone. It's complicated, but, I'm moving in with my Aunt and Uncle. Gonna get home schooled and take up the family business."

"What?" Brent blurted and Hunter squawked, "Family business?" Brent laughed, looking to Hunter who just stared at James in disbelief, "James, buddy, you're pulling our leg right? Like, your dad isn't Captain America. Your family business is construction, what's actually happening?"

James just shrugged, "No, he isn't. Not anymore. Because I am."

"You're what, exactly?" Hunter pressed as James turned to leave, walking down the hall to find his sister.

Before he was completely out of earshot though, he turned around, taking a few steps backwards and called, "I'm Captain America!"

"You're what?" Miranda asked as James turned back around, almost running into the girl. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder, looking him up and down hungrily before her eyes landed on the shield, "You're out of your mind."

"Leave my brother alone."

Miranda turned with a wicked smirk on her face, practically running into the now much taller Sarah Rogers. She looked the blonde up and down with her slack jaw, "What the hell happened to you?"

Sarah looked to James, who just grinned like a fool, and Sarah's expression softened as she placed her hands confidently on her hips, "You ever heard of Kayla Ellis? President's Daughter? Socialite and scientist? She was our mom. And our dad-"

"Was Captain America." James added, passing Miranda to stand side by side with his sister. "Long story short, through a very terrible turn of events, my sister got back what was meant to be hers."

"Which is what exactly, full body plastic surgery?" Miranda hissed, backing away from Sarah and James as two of her friends gawked at the blonde behind her.

Sarah laughed airily, cracking her knuckles, "No, that's silly. No, I got back my super soldier serum." Sarah growled and Miranda backed into the lockers, cowering in Sarah's sights. Sarah narrowed her eyes, standing up tall and tossing her hair over her shoulder, "Now, if you'll excuse us, we have to go. We're moving this week."

"Moving where?" Brent called, having witnessed the whole conversation. Hunter's jaw hung open as his eyes roamed up and down Sarah, and James lunged one step toward his friend to keep him at bay.

"Avengers Campus." Sarah answered, beaming at James, "We have some big shoes to fill, but somebody's got to do it." Sarah waltzed away from the people who once mocked her, leaving her old life behind for good.

* * *

As Sarah tossed her duffel bag into the back of the truck, she looked back to see Tessa leaning against the side of the house. The small brunette grimaced as she shifted, her wound still bothering her a week later. "You don't have to come. James and I can really go ourselves," Sarah explained as Tessa shook her head, crossing the driveway to meet her as Zawadi panted up at her.

"No, we want to come and make sure you guys get set up." Tessa assured the blonde, smiling up at her as she scratched Zawadi behind the ears, "It's really important to Bucky."

Sarah smiled weakly, nodding and looking over Tessa's shoulder as Bucky and James emerged from the front door, "I know."

Bucky closed the truck box and turned to Tessa and Sarah expectantly, "Ready to go?"

James looked to Sarah as she gazed at her childhood home for the last time. Bucky had offered to keep it for them, but Sarah and James asked to leave it behind. There were too many memories in that house to stay without their parents. Sarah reached out and grabbed her brother's hand, "It's okay."

James bit his bottom lip and nodded bravely, "I know. Still sucks. I'm so mad at him."

"I know." Sarah exhaled loudly, squeezing his hand, "Me too."

"It's a long ways upstate, the sooner we get moving the sooner you get moved in." Bucky called, leaning his vibranium hand against the driver's door. The Rogers kids looked to each other, then went around their separate ways to climb in and drive away. Once they reached the highway, Bucky looked in his rear view mirror, noting that James was nervous and Sarah seemed calm, a perfect swap of their normal demeanor, while the massive Rhodesian Ridgeback sat between them. "You guys okay?"

"I'm just nervous." James mumbled as he scrolled through his phone. He locked it and shoved it into his pocket before glancing at the shield between him and his sister, "I feel like there's a lot of pressure to not mess this up."

"Nobody's going to let you anywhere near anything dangerous until you feel ready. It'll be fun, like going to private school." Bucky explained casually and Sarah snorted, smearing chap stick across her lips.

"Yeah, private school for superheroes." Sarah looked to her brother, then smacked him hard. At his yelp and scowl she hissed, "What's the matter with you? This is like, everything you've ever dreamed of! You're going to be an actual Avenger. You're going to be Captain America."

"Yeah, but what if I suck at it?" James asked, gazing out the window, "What if I make an ass of myself? In front of you and Morgan and everybody..."

"You won't suck at it James. If your dad can do it, you can do it. I promise." Bucky looked up and met the boy's eyes, "They would be so proud of you. Both of you. You're gonna be great."

Tessa reached over and grabbed Bucky's right hand, running her thumb across his knuckles as he drove. She wasn't exactly excited to close up her shop and move upstate, but it was important to Bucky to be close to the kids, and close to his former team. Aside from her, they were all he had left.

* * *

While Bucky and Sam helped James get settled into his suite, Tiffany looked up at Sarah as Natasha opened the door across the hall. Natasha held open the door for the young blonde, gesturing for her to enter after, Zawadi running in first, barking happily. The room was large with a kitchen and living room overlooking a lake. On the far end of the suite was the master bedroom. Sarah assumed the bathroom was inside the bedroom and didn't need to investigate. She was more taken by the view than the amenities. "It's beautiful."

Natasha finally looked at Tiffany, and saw the little brunette's eyes welling up, "When we got back last week, I found out they'd rebuilt the campus as it was before the Battle with Thanos."

Sarah looked back at the two women, waiting for them to elaborate as to why this mattered. Tiffany sniffled, looking around at the room fondly, "This was your mother's room. Steve proposed in this doorway. It was their sanctuary... we asked if you could have it."

Sarah looked around the room, imagining her parents being happy here. "Thank you." She said softly, looking over her shoulder, "It means a lot to me."

"Anything for you. You saved us from the Soul Realm. A lot of people owe you their lives... their second chances." Tiffany said quietly, playing with the diamond ring she sported on her left hand now. "Is there anything else we can do for you?"

"What was it like?" Sarah asked quickly, turning from the view to look at Tiffany and Natasha. At their questioning glances Sarah added, "The Soul Realm. What was it like? I don't plan on subjecting anyone to it, but I want to understand what I'm capable of."

Natasha looked to Tiffany, and the small brunette's face fell a little, looking around the room again before murmuring, "It was... lonely. For a really long time. But we're here now, and that's what matters." Tiffany nodded at Sarah, then made her way toward the door just in time to run into James, "Oh! I'm sorry." Tiffany mumbled, scurrying out of the room to go find Sam.

When James crossed through the doorway he let out a long whistle, "This is so much nicer than my apartment!"

"Well, then you can just spend all your time in mine instead." Morgan cooed as she appeared behind James, wrapping her arms around his torso and running her fingers up and down his abs.

James blushed a little, clearing his throat as he looked over his shoulder at the woman, "Yeah, I think that'll work."

"Don't let Tony catch you. He'll slaughter you." Natasha smirked, crossing her arms as Morgan reached up on her tiptoes to kiss James's cheek. Natasha turned to Sarah as she straddled one of her kitchen table chairs. "The Soul Realm was odd... we could see you, and we could see your future. We knew what was coming, we just didn't know all the details."

"Hey Sarah," James finally called, pulling his attention away from caressing Morgan long enough to remember why he was in his sister's room, "Uncle Bucky and Sam are going to teach me how to use the shield out back. You wanna come? It could be fun. We could use some fun." James tossed his head back in an effort to get his shaggy hair out of his face. He studied his sister, then shot Natasha a warning stare, "Could we get a moment alone?"

"You don't scare me, James Rogers." Natasha chuckled as she passed him, pausing only to reach up and place her hand on his shoulder. She met his eyes and her smiled faltered, but she didn't say anything else as she left.

Morgan cupped James's cheek and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, "I'll let them know you'll be along soon."

"Thank you." He answered softly as she left, closing the door behind her. Once alone, Sarah quickly stood and pulled open the screen door to let the fresh fall air in. Zawadi tore out of the apartment, sprinting toward the lake at high speed as James sidled up next to his little sister.

Sarah watched Zawadi run, then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, smelling the freshly cut grass carried by the cool breeze. Her eyes were golden when she opened them, staring ahead until they faded back to their beautiful blue. She looked up at her brother and smiled, taking his hand. "We're gonna be okay."

James nodded and turned to her, seeing how content Sarah looked and feeling a wave of calm engulf him as he looked back to the lake as the sun began to set, "Yeah, I think we're gonna be just fine."

**_Author's Notes: _**_Thanks for tagging along with me for this journey. I've written over two-hundred and fifty chapters for these characters. I knew when this story started how it was going to end, because, as Tony said himself: Part of the Journey is the End. _

_I've loved seeing all of the views and comments over the past year. Thank you all for sticking along with me through it all. That being said, I have a confession to make: the day after I wrote the Epilogue (The next chapter) I began a spin off story called The Uncut Branch. It's the same characters, but a different timeline. I hit the reset button on Kayla and Steve's relationship and will be exploring how a shift in the timeline will effect everything **we** know about these characters. If you are interested, I'll be posting that shortly, but I couldn't finish this story, my baby, my love, my passion project, without **thanking everyone for reading. I appreciate it more than you'll all ever know. **_

**_Until Next Time, enjoy the Epilogue and thanks for everything. _**

**_Cash 3000_**


	107. Epilogue

The clicking melody of black stilettos against the tile floor was drowned out by water sloshing as the woman moved through the golden-hued world. Long, royal blue fabric wafted behind the blonde as she moved through the ankle-deep water, her leg bursting out through the slit with every heavy step she took. She placed her hand against a chair at an empty table, leaning against it to balance herself as she pulled her hair over her shoulder with her free hand.

A phantom ache in her chest lessened with every step she took further into her old apartment at the Avengers Compound. She looked to her right, finding the bed unmade and the door ajar, a reminder of leaving this life behind in a hurry. Kayla wondered if she could change her clothes, or if she was destined to spend all of eternity in this backless blue dress. This seemed a fitting end for the President's daughter- all done up and trapped in purgatory alone.

Kayla wrapped her arms around herself, looking out the sliding door at the lake beyond. It was the moment Kayla squeezed her own slim arms that she realized she was lacking her super-soldier serum. She looked down, finding herself thin and young as the day she met Steve Rogers in this same dress over twenty years ago. Kayla began to cry softly, grabbing the back of the couch and leaning over it as her own tears mixed with the orange liquid pooling around her feet.

Everything she'd done in her life had led to this: recreating Erskine's super-soldier serum, running away to join the Avengers, becoming Captain America's wife, losing her son and almost killing her daughter, escaping execution and living a lie for seventeen years. She had been selfish and brash and had caused so, so much pain. But Kayla had to wonder- did she really deserve to spend eternity alone?

Kayla was so lost in her grief that she didn't hear the sound of soft footsteps wading through the water behind her.

"Hey, Kay."

Kayla looked up and turned to see Steve Rogers, skinny as the moment Erskine met him with his hands in the pockets of his brown pants. Kayla stared at him with her mouth ajar and her eyes narrowed, looking him up and down in disgust.

Steve blanched under her dissatisfied gaze, staring down and splashing water to the side with his foot, "You're disappointed."

"Are you dead?" Kayla spat, crossing her arms and leaning her backside against the couch as she stared down her husband.

Steve lowered his head, feeling even smaller in her cold gaze, "Yes."

"Then yes, I'm terribly disappointed." Kayla snapped, storming towards him easily as the water lapped at her long gown, "What happened? James had the serum, he was supposed to save you."

"That wasn't what I meant."

"Why are you here? I needed you to survive, what did you do?" Kayla pressed, ripping Steve's hands from his pockets to hold them in her own. Both looked down, realizing they'd never been without the serum at the same time. Steve swallowed and he turned his hands to rub his thumb along Kayla's knuckles. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead to his, "Steve, I don't understand."

"I gave it to Sarah."

Kayla felt the air pulled from her lungs at Steve's words, but pulled away slightly to find his blue eyes latched onto her. She inhaled slowly, "You gave her the serum?"

"Yes. It was her birthright. She should have had it all along. With you gone she'd never have the option, and it felt selfish to take away her only chance." Steve clenched her hands in his, "Or maybe I selfishly didn't want to live without you."

"That's terrible, Steve. You orphaned our children on purpose. I would have expected that from myself, but not from you." Kayla hissed, pulling away a little, but Steve kept his grip tight on her hands. She didn't have the heart to run away from him. She looked over her shoulder out the glass door to the outside, wishing she could pull open the door and smell the fresh air. She never would again.

"You would have done it." Steve argued and Kayla looked back at him bitterly, "Kayla, what's done is done, please... it's bad enough, I have to spend eternity like this." Steve gestured down at himself and Kayla's lip wobbled, "I'm sorry."

"How dare you?" Kayla hissed sadly, finally yanking her hands out of his, "After all these years... after all this time, you think I care? I love you."

Steve opened his mouth to protest as he tried to close the gap between them, but Kayla took a step back, holding up her finger to tell him to stay back. Steve glared back at his wife, clenching his fists as he took one small stride toward the woman who stood just taller than him, "I gave everything to be Captain America. I gave up the chance at having a normal life. I spent half my lifetime encased in ice because saving my country and the world was more important than my own happiness. And after everything, I end up right back where I started. A disappointment. My own wife of twenty-five years can't even look at me." Steve lowered his head, his shaggy blonde hair falling over his forehead as he sighed roughly.

Kayla curled her finger under his chin and lifted it to see his eyes, her smile growing as she studied his features fondly, "I chased you for the serum, Steve. But I married you for what's in here." She pointed to his chest and his hands immediately flew to her arms to hold her tight. "I never measured you by how tall you were or how strong you were. I've always loved you for your heart. I will love you like this for all eternity. Enough for both of us if I need to." Kayla brushed back his hair, wishing that Steve could comprehend how much she adored him like this, how much she adored him in every shape or form he could take. If she had to spend the rest of time proving to Steve Rogers that he was enough for her, it was a mission she'd accept happily.

Steve chuckled, the soft rumble echoing through the room, "I love you, Kay."

"I love you, too," Kayla grabbed his cheeks and kissed him passionately, eventually feeling him wrap his arms around her back. He deepened the kiss, and Kayla grinned into his lips as she suddenly felt him grow taller. Tugging on his hair to pull him closer, Steve realized it too.

He pulled away to look down, finding himself Captain America again, suit and all. He beamed at Kayla and she just shook her head at him and smiled, "I meant what I said. I don't need Captain America, I just need Steve Rogers."

"I know." Steve told her, reaching down to kiss her softly before scooping her up bridal style. She yelped before settling into his arms, water dripping from her dress as Steve held her close, rubbing his nose against hers, "But I like being your Avenger, and I like feeling like myself with you. It's like we're back where we started."

Kayla let out an airy laugh and leaned back, looking over her shoulder toward the bedroom with sparkling emerald eyes, "Do you think Sarah can see us here?"

Steve raised his eyebrow, following his wife's gaze and train of thought, "Probably." As Kayla's expression faltered, he shrugged and added coyly, "If she can, she'll learn not to."

Kayla grinned slyly, pulling Steve's face closer to hers as he carried her to their bedroom, "Have I mentioned how much I love you?" Kayla asked, unable to wipe the smile off of her face.

"You could tell me again. I wouldn't mind." Steve answered, matching her perfect smile with one of his own. "Want to help me with my suit?" Kayla ran her tongue along the bottom of her teeth, looking Steve up and down hungrily as he kicked the door closed behind them.

So much for eternity alone.


End file.
